[e-drug] La Trobe University and Dr. Ken Harvey

[Ken Harvey <k.harvey@bigpond.net.au>]

E-drug: La Trobe University and Dr. Ken Harvey
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[E-druggers, Ken Harvey sends us the following statement. Earlier
he let me know that he and his wife had felt strengthened by the
sympathy, understanding and support that they received from
colleagues all over the world, including those from E-drug. I also
attach a letter I wrote to express my concerns. Hilbrand Haak,
E-drug co-moderator]

==============================
Official Statement (20 July 2001)

PBS-PBAC Web Site Dispute: La Trobe University and Dr. Ken
Harvey

This matter has now been amicably resolved.

The University and Dr. Harvey will not be issuing any further
statement regarding this matter.

Authorised by Professor Graham McDowell, Acting Vice Chancellor,
VC@latrobe.edu.au
==============================

-----Original Message-----
From: Hilbrand Haak <HaakH@compuserve.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 18 July 2001 12:55 AM
To: Prof Graham McDowell
Cc: Mr Bill Deller; Prof Stephen Duckett; Ken Harvey
Subject: Ken Harvey

Leiden, 17 July 2001

To:
Prof Graham McDowell
Acting Vice Chancellor
La Trobe University,

cc
Prof Stephen Duckett
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences
La Trobe University

Mr Bill Deller
NTEU La Trobe University Branch
Union Industrial Advocate

Ken Harvey
La Trobe University

Dear Professor McDowell,

I was very much displeased when I heard of your disciplinary
actions against Ken Harvey and his informative website services
about the Australian PBS and PBAC. I am sure that I speak for the
odd 1600 subscribers of the E-drug discussion forum, who live in
countries around the globe. All of them are essential drugs
professionals and well aware of the forces that currently seem to
drive decision making in many pharmaceutical systems. Ken has
regularly spoken out in E-drug on actions against the PBS and
thereby stimulated the urgently needed debate on what seems
obscure decision making, and which will probably result in severe
cost increases of health care in Australia, without being
accompanied by a proportional improvement in standards of care.

I firmly believe that a university should be a place of independent
thinking and that credibility can be lost only once when not doing
so in controversial issues. With the disciplinary actions against Ken
and his colleagues, I wonder whether La Trobe University has not
already crossed that line once and for all.

I would like to request an end to the disciplinary measures, and
hope that with it you will be able to restore some of the confidence
that most of us had in La Trobe University, but lost when they
heard about your actions.

Sincerely,

Hilbrand Haak
Co-moderator, E-drug discussion forum


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