Ben Goldacre: What doctors don't know about the drugs they prescribe

When a new drug gets tested, the results of the trials should be published for the rest of the medical world -- except much of the time, negative or inconclusive findings go unreported, leaving doctors and researchers in the dark. In this impassioned talk, Ben Goldacre explains why these unreported instances of negative data are especially misleading and dangerous.

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No Exit?

 We learned last year from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that more than 10% of Americans are taking anti-depressants.  This data would not be difficult to swallow if these drugs were proven to be effective and are prescribed responsibly by heath care practitioners, but they are not. Instead it is widely known that anti-depressants are not effective for mild to moderate depression. 

Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect?

Harvard scientist Dr. Irving Kirsch (no relation to Dr. Daniel Kirsch of EPI) says the drugs used to treat depression are effective, but for many, it's not the active ingredient that's making people feel better. It's the placebo effect. Irving Kirsch is Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and a lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also a professor of psychology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, and the University of Connecticut in the United States. Kirsch is noted for his research on placebo effects, antidepressants, expectancy, and hypnosis. He is the originator of response expectancy theory, and his analyses of clinical trials of antidepressants have influenced official treatment guidelines in the United Kingdom.