America is a Drug Nation. We want a quick fix and we believe that the “fix” exists in a pill. We believe this because the television tells us this everyday, every hour of the day, in the form of commercial advertisements. When pharmaceutical companies advertise medications directly to the consumer or ”patient” without using a physician as the middle man to ensure the correct patient-medicine match, they become drug dealers. Without a doctor, a medication is just a drug. It might be helpful but it might do harm. Pharmaceutical companies don’t care which it is, they just want to profit from the “deal”.
Prior to 1997 it was extremely difficult for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products on television. At that time, FDA statutes required that companies give full disclosure of the medication, its uses and side effects within the allotted 90 second commercial time slot. Logistically, this wasn’t possible, however; new legislation in 1997 allowed an abbreviated comment on the medication along with “ask your doctor” as the prerequisite, thus allowing drug companies to peddle their drugs directly to the consumer. Interestingly, Michael J. Friedman, M.D. who was the lead deputy commissioner of the FDA and the major force behind changing the legislation, resigned shortly thereafter and accepted the position of Vice President of Searle pharmaceuticals.
Billions of dollars are made within the pharmaceutical industry. Big Pharma is coaxing us to use every possible concoction available to fix what isn’t even wrong with us. There’s a pill for any symptom we have or think we have. Every other commercial on the television promises us a better life if only we could get that pill…They’ve even stooped to advertising pills to children: acne medicine will put an end to all of that adolescent angst… just ask your doctor.
To make matters worse, we’re paying for these commercials. The price of pharmaceuticals has skyrocketed over the past ten plus years. Some medications are more expensive now than they were fifteen years ago. Big Pharma will say that it’s because of Research and Development, but the real reason is that television advertising is pricey. There’s no better way to maintain those profit margins than by making the consumer pay for the cost of advertising. Afterall, we’re the ones who are Jonesing to take the pills.
Americans need to stop looking for passive ways to solve our problems. We need to get back to the basics of health and actively participate in our well-being. We know that proper exercise, diet and sleep are the cornerstones of good health, yet we would rather take a pill that does all the work for us– even if it might kill us. Pharmaceutical grade medication is a major advancement in modern medicine, however; we should not prefer it over following a healthy lifestyle when we can. Big Pharma is the only benefactor if we do and then they will make us pay them to sell it to us.
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The Medical Advocate
America is a Drug Nation. We want a quick fix and we believe that the “fix” exists in a pill. We believe this because the television tells us this everyday, every hour of the day, in the form of commercial advertisements. When pharmaceutical companies advertise medications directly to the consumer or ”patient” without using a physician as the middle man to ensure the correct patient-medicine match, they become drug dealers. Without a doctor, a medication is just a drug. It might be helpful but it might do harm. Pharmaceutical companies don’t care which it is, they just want to profit from the “deal”.
Prior to 1997 it was extremely difficult for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products on television. At that time, FDA statutes required that companies give full disclosure of the medication, its uses and side effects within the allotted 90 second commercial time slot. Logistically, this wasn’t possible, however; new legislation in 1997 allowed an abbreviated comment on the medication along with “ask your doctor” as the prerequisite, thus allowing drug companies to peddle their drugs directly to the consumer. Interestingly, Michael J. Friedman, M.D. who was the lead deputy commissioner of the FDA and the major force behind changing the legislation, resigned shortly thereafter and accepted the position of Vice President of Searle pharmaceuticals.
Billions of dollars are made within the pharmaceutical industry. Big Pharma is coaxing us to use every possible concoction available to fix what isn’t even wrong with us. There’s a pill for any symptom we have or think we have. Every other commercial on the television promises us a better life if only we could get that pill…They’ve even stooped to advertising pills to children: acne medicine will put an end to all of that adolescent angst… just ask your doctor.
To make matters worse, we’re paying for these commercials. The price of pharmaceuticals has skyrocketed over the past ten plus years. Some medications are more expensive now than they were fifteen years ago. Big Pharma will say that it’s because of Research and Development, but the real reason is that television advertising is pricey. There’s no better way to maintain those profit margins than by making the consumer pay for the cost of advertising. Afterall, we’re the ones who are Jonesing to take the pills.
Americans need to stop looking for passive ways to solve our problems. We need to get back to the basics of health and actively participate in our well-being. We know that proper exercise, diet and sleep are the cornerstones of good health, yet we would rather take a pill that does all the work for us– even if it might kill us. Pharmaceutical grade medication is a major advancement in modern medicine, however; we should not prefer it over following a healthy lifestyle when we can. Big Pharma is the only benefactor if we do and then they will make us pay them to sell it to us.
Like this: