Monday, November 03, 2003
The Most Dangerous Drug Dealers
Went to the doctor’s office the other day; unfortunately the staff was sicker than I. They had just finished one of the frequently catered luncheons that pharmaceutical companies put on in doctors’ lunchrooms, to bribe, oops, I mean to persuade, oops, I mean to inform doctors so they will prescribe overstocked, oops, I mean new (whatever) drugs that are being pushed that week. It was unfortunate, because many of the office staff are getting older and the sauerkraut and kielbasa were just too rich for the middle of a busy work day.
I think this scandalous behavior of bribing doctors began in the 50's with Metracal, the first diet shake. Doctors won trips to Hawaii in exchange for recommending Metracal to women who wanted to be slimmer. This was about the same time the radio music industry was zapped for accepting bribes to play certain would-be “hit” songs. Back then, disc jockeys made a lot of money (payola) for playing rock and roll songs pushed by the record companies. DJ’s like Alan Freed turned rock & roll into a big business. But when the rules changed, the DJ’s took the brunt of the penalties and the artists and producers were still raking in the profits.
So why is nothing ever said about the pharmaceutical companies and their unethical practices? Just look up and down any well-traveled street. What do you see? Drugstores. A drugstore on every corner. There are 199 drugstores in my local phone book! (And surprisingly, only 133 party stores, which is what we call convenience/liquor stores here in Michigan.) In most cities, everyone now has (at least) one drugstore within walking distance. It is big money. It is very very big money. Dangerously big money.
How do prescription drug companies make so much money? Just ask your greeter at Meijer Grocers or Home Depot Building Supply or even Burger King. Those old people that should be enjoying their final years have to work to pay their prescription bills. Many older people pay $600-$1200 or more every month (every month!) for lifesaving drugs. Do you really think the Great Grandma at Walmart is standing all day on those old legs of hers ‘cause she just loves to say “hi” to you? And I thought the story of a little girl selling matches in the snow was heart wrenching.
But now we see that the excessively high profits of pharmaceutical companies aren’t enough to satisfy the corporate greed of this great nation. So they advertise in magazines and on radio & TV right between ads for Depends and frozen pizzas. They can’t convince enough doctors to prescribe the exorbitantly overpriced pills, so they take their sales pitch directly to the public. They have convinced us to demand our doctors prescribe high-cost name brands (‘cause we’re worth it) that we know nothing about! Just think of the billions of dollars spent to trick us into thinking we know more from a 30-second commercial then our doctors who went through years of medical school. Too often, doctors are losing their authority to treat patients in the best interests of the patients by the insurance industry that already dictates what procedures can be used based on costs. Now we get pharmaceutical companies brainwashing consumers into thinking they need more drugs. And if the patients don’t need any valid medical-use drugs, create a new need–that is the American way. Sex drugs, happy pills, and kiddy tranqs just so we can “Be Me Again.” (“Me again” was one stoned-out honey in the ‘60s, is that what they want “me” to be?)
Luckily, some people can get over to Canada. For some miraculous reason, the same drugs from the same pharmaceutical companies cost a lot less across the border where prices and profits are controlled! An American can take their doctor’s prescription to a clinic across the river, be seen and re-evaluated by a Canadian doctor, have a newly written Canadian prescription filled at a Canadian pharmacy for the drastically reduced Canadian price, and then, even have the remainder monthly prescriptions mailed back to the American’s home!
The pharmaceutical companies don’t like that much. They are threatening drug shortages to Canada. They are threatening to stop drug research. Research for what? More effective Viagra, better wrinkle reducing creams, and longer lasting pills to make children stop running around being curious about life?
Pharmaceutical corporations think scientists and doctors research and invent drugs so the CEO’s can make big profits. I think they work on the big-profit items in exchange for working with the high tech equipment owned by the large firms. I think scientists and doctors are, and always have been, scientists and doctors. There will always be scientists discovering new and better ways. Their threats are shallow.
Maybe it is time for us to refuse to take any prescription medication that has been advertised.
Went to the doctor’s office the other day; unfortunately the staff was sicker than I. They had just finished one of the frequently catered luncheons that pharmaceutical companies put on in doctors’ lunchrooms, to bribe, oops, I mean to persuade, oops, I mean to inform doctors so they will prescribe overstocked, oops, I mean new (whatever) drugs that are being pushed that week. It was unfortunate, because many of the office staff are getting older and the sauerkraut and kielbasa were just too rich for the middle of a busy work day.
I think this scandalous behavior of bribing doctors began in the 50's with Metracal, the first diet shake. Doctors won trips to Hawaii in exchange for recommending Metracal to women who wanted to be slimmer. This was about the same time the radio music industry was zapped for accepting bribes to play certain would-be “hit” songs. Back then, disc jockeys made a lot of money (payola) for playing rock and roll songs pushed by the record companies. DJ’s like Alan Freed turned rock & roll into a big business. But when the rules changed, the DJ’s took the brunt of the penalties and the artists and producers were still raking in the profits.
So why is nothing ever said about the pharmaceutical companies and their unethical practices? Just look up and down any well-traveled street. What do you see? Drugstores. A drugstore on every corner. There are 199 drugstores in my local phone book! (And surprisingly, only 133 party stores, which is what we call convenience/liquor stores here in Michigan.) In most cities, everyone now has (at least) one drugstore within walking distance. It is big money. It is very very big money. Dangerously big money.
How do prescription drug companies make so much money? Just ask your greeter at Meijer Grocers or Home Depot Building Supply or even Burger King. Those old people that should be enjoying their final years have to work to pay their prescription bills. Many older people pay $600-$1200 or more every month (every month!) for lifesaving drugs. Do you really think the Great Grandma at Walmart is standing all day on those old legs of hers ‘cause she just loves to say “hi” to you? And I thought the story of a little girl selling matches in the snow was heart wrenching.
But now we see that the excessively high profits of pharmaceutical companies aren’t enough to satisfy the corporate greed of this great nation. So they advertise in magazines and on radio & TV right between ads for Depends and frozen pizzas. They can’t convince enough doctors to prescribe the exorbitantly overpriced pills, so they take their sales pitch directly to the public. They have convinced us to demand our doctors prescribe high-cost name brands (‘cause we’re worth it) that we know nothing about! Just think of the billions of dollars spent to trick us into thinking we know more from a 30-second commercial then our doctors who went through years of medical school. Too often, doctors are losing their authority to treat patients in the best interests of the patients by the insurance industry that already dictates what procedures can be used based on costs. Now we get pharmaceutical companies brainwashing consumers into thinking they need more drugs. And if the patients don’t need any valid medical-use drugs, create a new need–that is the American way. Sex drugs, happy pills, and kiddy tranqs just so we can “Be Me Again.” (“Me again” was one stoned-out honey in the ‘60s, is that what they want “me” to be?)
Luckily, some people can get over to Canada. For some miraculous reason, the same drugs from the same pharmaceutical companies cost a lot less across the border where prices and profits are controlled! An American can take their doctor’s prescription to a clinic across the river, be seen and re-evaluated by a Canadian doctor, have a newly written Canadian prescription filled at a Canadian pharmacy for the drastically reduced Canadian price, and then, even have the remainder monthly prescriptions mailed back to the American’s home!
The pharmaceutical companies don’t like that much. They are threatening drug shortages to Canada. They are threatening to stop drug research. Research for what? More effective Viagra, better wrinkle reducing creams, and longer lasting pills to make children stop running around being curious about life?
Pharmaceutical corporations think scientists and doctors research and invent drugs so the CEO’s can make big profits. I think they work on the big-profit items in exchange for working with the high tech equipment owned by the large firms. I think scientists and doctors are, and always have been, scientists and doctors. There will always be scientists discovering new and better ways. Their threats are shallow.
Maybe it is time for us to refuse to take any prescription medication that has been advertised.
