Pharmanipulation

Episode 11 features Paul Offit MD, an international expert in virology and immunology. Dr. Offit is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and director of the Vaccine Education Center; he is also the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He chats with PharmedOut about the current measles outbreak, the real risks and benefits of vaccines, RFK Jr., the medical freedom movement, and more. Additional Resources Dr. Paul Offit’s Beyond the Noise Substack: https://pauloffit.substack.com/ [https://pauloffit.substack.com/] Autism Science Foundation: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/teams/dr-paul-a-offit/ [https://autismsciencefoundation.org/teams/dr-paul-a-offit/] Dr. Offit’s op-ed “Giving Infectious Diseases a Break?” in thePhiladelphia Citizen: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commentary-giving-infectious-diseases-a-break/ [https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commentary-giving-infectious-diseases-a-break/] Dr. Offit’s open letter to Senator Cassidy about RFK Jr.: https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/rfk-jr-kennedy-hhs-secretary-bill-cassidy-measles-epidemic/ [https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/rfk-jr-kennedy-hhs-secretary-bill-cassidy-measles-epidemic/] “A Boy Who Had Cancer Faces Measles Risk From The Unvaccinated”: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/02/03/383324228/a-boy-who-had-cancer-faces-measles-risk-from-the-unvaccinated#:~:text=To%20Protect%20His%20Son%2C%20A,of%20parents%20refusing%20to%20vaccinate [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/02/03/383324228/a-boy-who-had-cancer-faces-measles-risk-from-the-unvaccinated#:~:text=To%20Protect%20His%20Son%2C%20A,of%20parents%20refusing%20to%20vaccinate].

Episode 10 highlights examples of how patient advocacy groups influenced pharmaceutical decisions at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a conversation with health policy researcher, author and activist, Sharon Batt PhD, we explore regulatory decisions on Relyvrio (AMX0035), Avastin (bevacizumab), and Addyi (flibanserin) within the context of our latest report “What Needs to Change at the FDA?Protecting and Advancing Public Health.” Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing.  Additional Resources  Full Report “What Needs to Change at the FDA? Protecting and Advancing Public Health”: https://georgetown.box.com/s/n87us836fpmdhtcvdaqopyobfwx7bymx [https://georgetown.box.com/s/n87us836fpmdhtcvdaqopyobfwx7bymx]   Webinar on “What Needs to Change at the FDA?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g9br3wZW-k&t=11s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g9br3wZW-k&t=11s]   Article on “How some drug companies manipulate patient advocates” by Judith Garber: https://lowninstitute.org/how-some-drug-companies-manipulate-patient-advocates/ [https://lowninstitute.org/how-some-drug-companies-manipulate-patient-advocates/]

Episode 9 features a conversation on opioids with Andrew Kolodny MD. Dr. Kolodny is a leading expert on the opioid crisis and serves as President of Health Professionals for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP). We chat about the opioid epidemic in the US over the years, the covert marketing strategies used to sell opioids, and opioid prescribing guidelines. Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing. Additional Resources PROP’s Website: https://www.supportprop.org/ [https://www.supportprop.org/] PharmedOut on Opioids: https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/pharmedout-on-opioids [https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/pharmedout-on-opioids] PharmedOut's Journal Article, “Survey of opioid prescribing among dentists indicates need for more effective education regarding pain management” in Journal of the American Dental Association: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34689958/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34689958/] “Years into an addiction crisis, a med school lecture still minimized opioid risks” by Ed Silverman for STAT News, link: https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2024/02/07/opioid-addiction-pain-nova-southeastern-university-florida/ [https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2024/02/07/opioid-addiction-pain-nova-southeastern-university-florida/] Fact sheet on opioid marketing: https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/3fqr4f0nl4jnviwrcxhn6muaxqqptgsx [https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/3fqr4f0nl4jnviwrcxhn6muaxqqptgsx] Summaries of key articles on opioid marketing: https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/xt2rhk3tinq0rqgn9bz2dozm2w4dv84c [https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/xt2rhk3tinq0rqgn9bz2dozm2w4dv84c]

Episode 8 features an interview with Shahram Ahari MD, an emergency medicine physician and former drug rep, that explores the world of pharmaceutical samples. We chat about why samples are the most important marketing tactic drug companies have, how samples are used to manipulate prescribing choices, and discuss whether or not drug samples should be banned. Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing. Additional Resources PharmedOut fact sheet on drug samples: ⁠https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/y51hkdvu2dju9sv26fjcc976ivlvwtkj [https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/alzheimers-and-mild-cognitive-impairment?authuser=0] Summaries of key articles on the topic of drug samples: ⁠https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/3052cjlgv9thfw0qf3k9fkuyio978mbr [https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext] PharmedOut’s paper “Pharmaceutical marketing: the example of drug samples.” Link: https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40545-022-00479-z [https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40545-022-00479-z] PharmedOut’s paper “Following the Script: How Drug Reps Make Friends and Influence Doctors.” Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040150 [https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040150] PharmedOut’s paper “Why lunch matters: Assessing physicians' perceptions about industry relationships.” Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/chp.20081 [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/chp.20081] Dr. Ahari’s op-ed in The Washington Post “I was a drug rep. I know how pharma companies pushed opioids.” Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-was-a-drug-rep-i-know-how-pharma-companies-pushed-opioids/2019/11/25/82b1da88-beb9-11e9-9b73-fd3c65ef8f9c_story.html [https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-was-a-drug-rep-i-know-how-pharma-companies-pushed-opioids/2019/11/25/82b1da88-beb9-11e9-9b73-fd3c65ef8f9c_story.html]

Episode 7 features an interview with Peter Whitehouse MD, PhD and Lon Schneider MD, MS exploring dementia and mild cognitive impairment. We chat about the medicalization of normal aging, the overdiagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, problems with new drugs and tests for Alzheimer’s disease, and how to prevent dementia.  Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing. Additional Resources PharmedOut resources on Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment: https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/alzheimers-and-mild-cognitive-impairment?authuser=0 [https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/alzheimers-and-mild-cognitive-impairment?authuser=0] Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Link: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext [https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext] Making the Case for Accelerated Withdrawal of Aducanumab. Link: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad220262 [https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad220262] Dr. Peter Whitehouse’s latest letter to the editor, “Cummings column on Alzheimer treatments skips over a few key things.” Link: https://www.cleveland.com/letters/2023/10/cummings-column-on-alzheimer-treatments-skips-over-a-few-key-things.html [https://www.cleveland.com/letters/2023/10/cummings-column-on-alzheimer-treatments-skips-over-a-few-key-things.html] American Dementia: Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society by Danny George PhD and Peter Whitehouse MD, PhD. Link: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12394/american-dementia [https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12394/american-dementia] The Myth of Alzheimer’s: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis by Peter Whitehouse MD, PhD and Danny George MSc. Link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312368173/themythofalzheimers [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312368173/themythofalzheimers]