Today, I published a social media post sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. I understand that this bothers some people. Some people have this idea that “big pharma” is the enemy. I know that now that I work publicly with them, I am the enemy, very. I understand that perspective. In fact, once upon a time, I swore I would never work with a pharmaceutical company. But I have not taken this collaboration with a pharmaceutical company lightly. There are many legitimate reasons a patient might work with a pharmaceutical company.
This Patient-Pharmaceutical Partnership is about World Mental Health Day
Today’s The social media post is about World Mental Health Day. Includes tips like “reach out” and “start conversations.” It does not speak for an Otsuka product in any way. In fact, let me tell you a little secret: I couldn’t talk about an Otsuka product even if I wanted to. The laws surrounding what pharmaceutical companies can and cannot say are very strict and a lay person like myself could never be considered to be talking about their product in a sponsored way. Going through the process of getting this social media post approved by Otsuka and their lawyers has made it very clear to me that there are a lot of hoops to jump through, and jump through, as they do.
Thus, this partnership with Otsuka is not an ongoing or global sponsorship, but rather is present only in very specific activities. (You’ll see anything involving Otsuka clearly marked as such.)
Why a Patient-Pharmaceutical Company Partnership?
There are many reasons why a patient might want to work with a pharmaceutical company. For example, pharmaceutical companies keep me alive. It is entirely in my best interest to ensure that they continue to do so for me and others. Also, pharmaceutical companies promote innovation and research. Patients desperately need it. It is absolutely in our best interest to ensure that it continues to happen, particularly in the field of mental illness (in our case). Also, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is going to research, manufacture and sell drugs to patients no matter what. It is in our best interest to ensure that the patient’s voice has a seat at the table when the company collects the data that drives important decisions.
But in the end, and this is what I know you’ve been waiting for, the drug companies have the money. That’s all. Money. If the fuzzy lobby teddy bear had a lot of money and wanted to give it to me, I would work with them and everyone would be happy. But that’s not how capitalism works. In this case, the drug companies have all the money. I need money. There is a natural connection.
Trust me, it’s very hard to make a living as a mental health advocate, let alone a person with a disability. It is very difficult to make a living as a writer. It is very difficult to make a living as a speaker. Yes, the speaking, writing, editing, consulting, and other things I’ve done generate income. But this income is irregular and meager. But you know what isn’t irregular? Mortgage payments. The bank really doesn’t care if I have a bad month. They just want their money and certainly don’t care where it comes from.
I wish I had the luxury of a regular full-time job, but I don’t. My disability doesn’t allow it.
I need money. Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is willing to give me some. I will take it.
The Benefits of Greater Pharmaceutical-Mental Health Advocacy Partnerships
I know some people don’t want to hear this, but there are benefits for patients when mental health advocates work carefully and thoughtfully with “big pharma.”
Beyond simply supporting mental health advocacy and enabling people like me to continue our work, patient-pharmacy partnerships can also:
- Amplify the voices of patients
- Raise awareness more than when done by a single person
- Creation of educational material for patients
“But Big Pharma is bad”
I can understand that perspective. Collectively, over time, pharmaceutical companies have done terrible things. You only have to look the Sackler family to see how bad drug companies can be. That being said, not all companies are the same. Some companies are law abiding and really just research and offer treatments to sick people who need them. Are you in trouble with the law? understand. But that’s not a problem with big pharma, it’s a problem with your government.
I have thought that “big pharma” was bad many times. But when the time comes, I wouldn’t live without them, and neither would millions of other people. There may be problems with the way some companies do certain things, but let’s not forget the countless life-saving gifts they also contribute.
What about Otsuka Pharmaceuticals?
I cannot claim to be an expert on Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Everything I know about them comes from my personal interactions. And in those, I can tell you that they were incredibly respectful and receptive to the perspective of patients and advocates. I consider myself lucky to have worked with them.
Anti-Pharmaceutical Partnership — The Hate I’m About to Get
Yes, I am awaiting a response on the decision to publicly partner with a pharmaceutical company. I’ve taken people’s temperature on this before and people aren’t fans of this type of collaboration. I understand that. They think I’m going to be biased now. They think they can no longer trust me. They think this will change my content.
I appreciate your concerns. I really do.
(But I’d also appreciate it if you weren’t too mean about it. Feel free to leave your thoughts below, but if they’re abusive they’ll be moderated.)
What do I do to ensure that I remain unbiased despite the pharmaceutical company’s money?
My relationship with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals has not and will not influence my publishing choices, period.
That being said, I understand that no matter how unbiased I am, some people are not going to believe me. So here’s the deal:
- My relationship with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is clearly described in the conflicts of interest section (link at the bottom of each page).
- I won’t talk about Otsuka products here at all. I may talk about categories they offer products in general, but I won’t talk about offerings from Otsuka.
- Whenever Otsuka sponsors anything, it will be made very clear. (Believe it or not, there are very strict laws around this, and drug companies are very careful about following them. They have a lot of lawyers. So does the government.)
Mental Health Advocacy Can Coexist With Pharmaceutical Sponsorship
Look, I’m not the first mental health advocate to work with a pharmaceutical company. In fact, major mental health organizations dedicated to helping patients, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America (MHA)both get pharmaceutical money – lots of it – as does almost everyone else. I understand that in a perfect world this might not be the case, but this project just isn’t perfect.
If you are still concerned about this patient-pharmaceutical company relationship
If you’re still worried, I understand. Please leave a comment below or contact me directly and I will do my best to address them.
Photo by jarmoluk from Freerange Stock.
