The Dr. Peter Breggin Hour – 01.12.17

After I give a 15 minute introduction about how the FDA may be doing more harm than good, Kim Witczak, consumer representative on the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, joins me to delve deeply into how the FDA too often betrays its mandate to serve and protect the public, and instead serves and protects the drug companies.  Specific topics include the recent unprecedented FDA   action of removing a lengthy Black Box warning from the smoking drug Chantix about its severe psychiatric adverse effects including suicide; and the FDA’s present consideration of drug company requests to allow them to market drugs to doctors for purposes that are not approved by the FDA.   We also talk about direct to consumer advertising.   Evermore, we cannot trust big government; evermore we cannot trust big business; and we cannot trust the legal system either.  This hour examines evil without finding an easy way to combat it.  On the bright side, it offers inspiration in Kim Witczak and her work as a self-made, highly dedicated and effective reformer!