ABSTRACT
A great deal of concern has been directed toward the quality and cost of medical care. This attention has focused on assisting the consumer by means of a critical examination of rising costs and the poor distribution of important medical services. The issues involved in consumer protection have also been found relevant to the drug industry. Drug companies have been accused of using advertising rhetoric and brand name labeling to inflate prices on some drugs, and in some cases of masking the only marginal effectiveness of others. The time is drawing near when the same public scrutiny and concern for cost-effectiveness will demand accountability in the services provided by the mental health industry. Indeed, criticism has already been registered against the high cost of mental health care and its frequently equivocal results.
