Dr. Frederick Goodwin, Radio Psychiatrist, Earned $1.3 Million From Drugmakers

New York Times:

An influential psychiatrist who was the host of the popular public radio program "The Infinite Mind" earned at least $1.3 million from 2000 to 2007 giving marketing lectures for drugmakers, income not mentioned on the program.

The psychiatrist and radio host, Dr. Frederick K. Goodwin, is the latest in a series of doctors and researchers whose ties to drugmakers have been uncovered by Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. Dr. Goodwin, a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, is the first news media figure to be investigated.

Dr. Goodwin's weekly radio programs have often touched on subjects important to the commercial interests of the companies for which he consults. In a program broadcast on Sept. 20, 2005, he warned that children with bipolar disorder who were left untreated could suffer brain damage, a controversial view.

"But as we'll be hearing today," Dr. Goodwin told his audience, "modern treatments -- mood stabilizers in particular -- have been proven both safe and effective in bipolar children."

That same day, GlaxoSmithKline paid Dr. Goodwin $2,500 to give a promotional lecture for its mood stabilizer drug, Lamictal, at the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. In all, GlaxoSmithKline paid him more than $329,000 that year for promoting Lamictal, records given to Congressional investigators show.

In an interview, Dr. Goodwin said that Bill Lichtenstein, the program's producer, knew of his consulting but that neither thought "getting money from drug companies could be an issue."

"In retrospect, that should have been disclosed," he said.

But Mr. Lichtenstein said that he was unaware of Dr. Goodwin's financial ties to drugmakers and that, after an article in the online magazine Slate this year pointed out that guests on his program had undisclosed affiliations with drugmakers, he called Dr. Goodwin "and asked him point-blank if he was receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies, directly or indirectly, and the answer was, 'No.' "

Asked about the contradiction, Dr. Goodwin and Mr. Lichtenstein each stood by their versions of events.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Ranta]

Drug companies pay doctors by putting them in "studies" if they prescribe the companies drugs.
At least, know that if you are prescribed the "newest" drug out there, you may be a guinnea pig and that your doctor may be getting paid.

[wordvarc]

"psychiatry" has been owned by drug companies for the past twenty years.

Psychiatric drugs provide most of the drug companies profit.

[VOTER]

NPR - NOT VETTING IS SO MCCAIN!

[OhComeOnNow]

Payola from Big Pharma - I'm shocked - and stunned.

[blowhard]

Psychologists in general are a suspicious bunch!! All the pseudo-sciences are suspect fields....but a radio shrink takes the cake. If you listen to them, you need to be involuntarily committed.

[whit4brains]

A lot of counselors can really help people. I agree that a radio show host shouldn't replace a relationship with a professional counselor but some do good work.

[HarveyD]

He is nothing more or less than a drug pushing pimp for big pharma. He is in fact more detestable than a drug pusher on the street because he couches himself in respectability with his cherished credentials.

[Topfeeder]

Big Daddy Pharm is ruining medicine and making wh0res out of people that only wanted to help others.

[protagonia]

Shrinks who put people on pills are the least scrupulous and laziest of the field.

They do enormous harm, compared to their meager successes.

I am glad his name is now tarnished by this.

May his losses surpass any gains by the pharma-crooks.

[Pippilangstrumpf]

So true.

You go to a shrink to try and solve some situational problems and before you know it, you're on drugs.

Then, try getting single payer health insurance if you've ever been on an anti-depressant (that you never needed in the first place).

Anti-depressants are "box office poison" to insurance underwriters. It's a crazy effed up system we have going here. Big Pharma spending gazillions to advertise their happy pills, shrinks earning their livings by prescribing them, and we, the innocent public getting totally screwed over in the end.

It is criminal.

[protagonia]

Well said.

Very sane thoughts.

[myoungholt]

Only a part of the reason drug prices are so high.

[johnnygoodwud]

so much for his credibility. just take two and call me in the morning. yea right