For several years now, Senator Grassley has conducted extensive oversight and sought disclosure of financial ties with industry from research physicians, medical schools, medical journals, continuing medical education, and the patient advocacy community.   Now Senator Grassley has asked 33 medical groups for information about their financial backing they get from the medical device, insurance and pharmaceutical industries, including several psychiatric front groups such as Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Mental Health America, NARSAD, Screening for Mental Health Inc. and the National Center for Mental Checkups at Columbia University (TeenScreen).  Senator Grassley’s previous inquiry into the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that the majority of funding received was from the pharmaceutical industry; more than $28 million from pharmaceutical companies in the last four years.

In just the last two years, Grassley investigated and exposed extensive financial conflicts of interest of prominent psychiatrists with the pharmaceutical industry amounting to millions of dollars including Dr. Charles Nemeroff, Dr. Joseph Biederman, Dr. Melissa DelBello, Dr. Timothy Wilens, Dr. Thomas Spencer, Dr. Alan Schatzberg, Dr. Martin Keller, Dr. A. John Rush, Dr. Karen Wagner, Dr. Jeffrey Bostic and former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Frederick Goodwin.  Additionally, Grassley investigated the American Psychiatric Association and the funding they received from the pharmaceutical industry.

For the latest inquiry from Senator Grassley read this article: http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=179090