A doctor with a lack of ethics

[Drug addict]

A doctor has just been jailed for faking some blood test results:

http://society.guardian.co.uk/publichealth/story/0,11098,1378756,00.html

 

The court was told that Pugh was bankrupt, and would almost certainly be struck off by regulator the General Medical Council early in the new year.

 

For there to be anydoubt over whether this doctor will be struck off shows the incompetence of the GMC. The GMC really is just an old boys club which will be lucky to survive another few years. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which is both a regulatory and representative body has far better disciplinary procedures than the GMC (which is only regulatory.)

[JaKiri]

That could just be bad wording from the paper, or the fellow giving evidence.

[YT2095]

I heard about this on radio 4 this afternoon at about 2pm ish.

 

IIRC it was re: the MMR vaccine, and faking results (

 

he deserves all he gets and then some!

[JaKiri]

I heard about this on radio 4 this afternoon at about 2pm ish.

 

IIRC it was re: the MMR vaccine' date=' and faking results (

 

he deserves all he gets and then some![/quote']

 

Why not check the link in the first post? Then your worries can be over!

 

To be honest, it's hardly the worst thing that he could have done; there is no moral absolutism, and on the scale of things, faking results ONLY to reassure patients isn't too bad.

[YT2095]

and just imagine he got it WRONG!?

[Drug addict]

and on the scale of things, faking results ONLY to reassure patients isn't too bad.

 

It was a private clinic, so he was making a financial gain. And wouldn't you want your doctor to tell you the truth about test results so that if anything is wrong you can sort it out earlier?

[Aardvark]

For there to be anydoubt over whether this doctor will be struck off shows the incompetence of the GMC. The GMC really is just an old boys club which will be lucky to survive another few years.

 

Actually the GMC does not operate like an old boys club. It operates more like a kangaroo court with a presumption of guilt. Good doctors and surgeons are being forced out of their professions in circumstances similiar to a witch hunt.

 

Other than this resulting in shortages of doctors and surgeons, it also means that those who remain are far more cautious, being less likely to intervene in serious cases. Better to simply tell the patient that nothing can be done and let him die, than attempt surgery and risk litigation.

[Drug addict]

Actually the GMC does not operate like an old boys club. It operates more like a kangaroo court with a presumption of guilt. Good doctors and surgeons are being forced out of their professions in circumstances similiar to a witch hunt.

 

roflmao! or at least I hope that was a joke.

[Sayonara]

No, not really.

[Aardvark]

roflmao! or at least I hope that was a joke.

 

That was one of the most serious posts i have ever made.

[jdurg]

Altering the results of a lab test is more serious than some people may think. I work for a Clinical/Contracting Research Organization which performs the data analysis of clinical research trials being performed across the world. Every day we work with data generated by doctors who have patients assigned to these clinical trials. The data obtained in these trials helps determine if a 'new' drug gets accepted by the FDA and can be put into production by the company, or if the drug is rejected and the company loses out. Faking lab results can have serious consequences on the results of these trials. If they fake results and data so that Adverse Events aren't reported during the clinical trial, the drug may be accepted and released into the market. Then years down the line people can start having serious reactions and sue the living crap out of the manufacturer of the drug. This can cost many people their jobs and their livelyhoods. It may also cost people their lives if their reactions to the drug are particularly bad. Also, what would happen if the 'faked' data caused the FDA to reject a drug that in all actuality was working? Again, the company could lose out on millions and numerous people could lose their jobs due to the budget crunch.

 

As a good example, take a look at what went on with Vioxx. What if a doctor or group of doctors altered (faked) their data to cover up the increased heart attacks associated with the drug. The risk never would have been seen in the clinical trials because of that and the FDA could have then accepted it. Now all of a sudden it shows up and the company that made the drug (Merck) is suddenly out of a lot of money. All of a sudden that little 'no big deal' becomes a lot bigger. (I don't know if that is what actually happened with Vioxx, but it's a good example).

[Drug addict]

I have criticised it [the GMC'] because ... its procedures focussed too much on the interests of the doctors and not sufficiently on the protection of patients.

 

... I have concluded that there has not yet been the change of culture within the GMC that will ensure that patient protection is given the priority it deserves. I have been driven to the conclusion that this is because the GMC is effectively controlled by members elected by doctors. Many of the issues which the GMC has to consider give rise to a conflict between the interests of the profession and the public interest. Many members of the profession expect the GMC to represent it rather than to regulate it in the public interest.

 

http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk/images/fifthreport/chapter/Fifth_Report_Covering_Letter.pdf

 

the whole of the fifth report of the Shipman inquiry is here if you want to read it: http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk/5r_page.asp

 

I think this supports my assertion that the GMC is an old boys club and refutes Aardvark's position that the GMC operates as a kangaroo court, though the GMC is being forced to change (http://www.gmc-uk.org).