Drug Makers Accused of Aiding in Deaths

[Guest guest]

> JustSayNo

> Sun, 11 Jul 2004 12:35:47 -0400

> [sSRI-Research] Drug Makers Accused of

> Aiding in Deaths

>

> Drug Makers Accused of Aiding in Deaths

>

> Tue Jul 6, 8:33 PM ET

>

> By MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press Writer

>

> http://tinyurl.com/325d8

>

> HARRISBURG, Pa. - A psychiatrist has filed a federal

> lawsuit alleging that

> children have been harmed and even killed by the

> misuse of drugs he blames

> on aggressive marketing by drug manufacturers.

>

> Dr. Stefan P. Kruszewski claims he was fired in July

> 2003 from a consulting

> job at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare

> because he reported

> " fraud and other violations of civil and criminal

> law constituting pervasive

> abuses. "

>

> Kruszewski accuses the drug companies of distorting

> statistics, violating

> regulations and exaggerating the effect of their

> psychotropic products -

> practices he says have victimized juvenile wards of

> the state, mental

> patients and prisoners.

>

> Allegedly " corrupt practices " by drug companies

> described in the suit

> include overmedication of patients, fraudulent

> billing, abuses of

> Pennsylvania's involuntary commitment law and

> " mistreatment of children

> resulting in deaths in Pennsylvania, Texas and

> Oklahoma. "

>

> Don Bailey, Kruszewski's lawyer, said patient

> confidentiality rules

> prevented giving specific examples of patients who

> have died as a result of

> the alleged practices.

>

> Defendants include Public Welfare Secretary Estelle

> B. Richman; Columbus

> Medical Services, the consulting company Kruszewski

> worked for; and drug

> makers Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Novartis,

> AstraZeneca,

> GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly & Co. The drugs at

> issue include Paxil,

> Neurontin, Gortan, Seroquel, Topmax, Risperdal,

> Trileptal and Zyprexa.

>

> The suit was filed Thursday in Harrisburg federal

> court. The defendants or

> their spokesmen either did not return phone messages

> or declined comment

> Tuesday.

>

> The suit says Kruszewski conducted medical reviews

> and appeals for Public

> Welfare and served as a medical-psychiatric

> consultant for the department's

> Bureau of Program Integrity.

>

> Kruszewski seeks damages of more than $1 million for

> future lost wages and

> for allegedly being deprived of his right to speak

> out on matters of public

> concern without retaliation. He also alleges fraud,

> defamation and

> conspiracy.

>

> Kruszewski did not return a phone message seeking

> comment on Tuesday.

>

>

>

>

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