Posted by Rick on September 2, 2004, at 14:50:11
In reply to Re: shocking development about benzos at Web World » olysi79, posted by zeugma on September 2, 2004, at 13:48:07
It's important to remember that under-appreciation of theraputically-used benzos -- as well as outright benzophobia -- is largely tied to the economics and related promotion practices of the drug industry. Most benzos have long ago gone off-patent, so generics rule the benzo roost and the big drug companies that originally developed them can no longer make money from them. So they instead promote their on-patent and far more expensive antidepressants, while claiming these are much safer and more effective than benzos -- especially for long-term treatment.
A few months ago the respected Journal of Clinical Psychiatry devoted an entire supplement to "rediscovering" the great benefits of benzos. Interestingly, the supplement was funded by an "unrestricted grant" from Solvay, maker of one of the first new patented benzo products in years, Klonopin Wafers. There was also a second new on-patent benzo product, Xanax XR, approved recently in the U.S. So between these two, it is not so surprising to see that *some* of the heat is being taken off benzos within the medical community and they are being "rediscovered" and de-stigmatized to some degree (not enough, unfortunately, though the articles posted earlier in this thread were heartening). Good pdocs have kept them in the arsenal of treatments all along for use when, and for whom, appropriate.
Last time I posted about a similar issue my post was shunted off to Social Psycho-Babble, and I imagine it will happen again. But patients are essentially doctor-advised consumers of medicines, and should be aware of the factors that can figure -- directly or indirectly -- into a doctors' drug selection. It's ridiculous to take a key, if sometimes subtle, part of the medication-selection process and act as if it is a completely separate or unimportant issue by exiling mention of it to a low-profile area of the site.
Rick
poster:Rick
thread:382548
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040830/msgs/385727.html