Pharmaceutical Industry Corruption Is Structural, Systemic, and Profitable, New Review Finds - Mad In America

Marc Rodwin analyzes systemic corruption in the pharmaceutical industry and proposes essential reforms for ethical healthcare.

AI Image is not from the original article

Source: https://www.madinamerica.com/2026/09/pharmaceutical-industry-corruption-is-structural-systemic-and-profitable-new-review-finds/

Opinion

Mad in America is one of those sites I keep a safe distance from. Sometimes its claims seem one-sided and extreme. And I don’t think that always helps the cause of improving psychiatry. Not does is help in trying to win people over to your side or, at least, to get them to consider how you happen to see things.

Having said that, this particular piece does seem quite revealing. But I am not convinced that economic motives are the only driver. I think other factors include stupidity, social brainwashing, and a lack of scientific humility.

Stupidity might be a harsh word, but considering the consequences of not thinking carefully about these issues, maybe it’s not.

And that leads to social brainwashing. Again, brainwashing may seem an extreme characterisation but considering how little intelligent dialogue we find on these issues, perhaps it too is appropriate.

Lack of scientific humility? Well, let me just say that human consciousness is a partly divine, multi-layered mystery and to reduce psychological and spiritual suffering to some kind of chimerical “chemical imbalance” is absurd. There are so many potential influences on the human psyche that to reduce consciousness to chemicals is, in my view, frightening and potentially harmful.

Sadly, not a few individuals have fallen into this trap over the years, both patients and their significant others.

My linking to this article doesn't fully endorse it but hopes to promote dialogue in an area where, as I have argued since my undergraduate days, thoughtful reflection is sorely missing.