pharmaceutical company, Roche, made a few bucks on the deal? Tamiflu earned them
over $2 billion.
It is in your hands only, to eat right, exercise and not get sick later on. You are
responsible! It’s not for your doctor and the money-hungry drug companies to make a
significant lifestyle change with your diet. It is in the drug companies’ best financial
interest to just mask and maintain the symptoms so they can continue making money
off you unto your last breath! Even congressman Ron Paul from Texas has made the
admission to the public on tape that the FDA and Big Pharma are indeed “in bed
together” both building up their monopolies and only interested in making more
money. Big Pharma loves government medicine because they make more money. He’s
been quoted as saying: “The insurance companies and the drug companies, whether it’s
Democrats or Republicans reforming the medical care system, these corporations run
the show. You know, they support it, it’s because the government doesn’t take it over.
It’s the corporations that end up taking over.”
Drug reps often have no medical or science education. Is it safe for physicians to assume
that the professionals they meet with to discuss new medications and prescription
recommendations for their patients actually have backgrounds in medicine or science?
According to ABC News, it's not. A former drug rep for the pharmaceutical company Eli
Lily, Shahram Ahari testified before Congress, saying that "pharmaceutical companies
hire former cheerleaders and ex-models to wine and dine doctors, exaggerate the drug's
benefits and underplay their side-effects." He also explained that he was taught "how to
exceed spending limits for important clients...[by] using friendships and personal gifts"
and to "exploit sexual tension."
Your healthcare provider may have an ulterior motive behind your prescription. In 2007,
the St. Petersburg Times reported that drug reps often give gifts to convince medical
professionals to prescribe the medications that they represent. Dr. James P. Orlowski
tries to teach his students that interaction with drug reps is not in the best interests of
patients. Even though many doctors may believe solicitation from drug reps is unethical
or at the very least impractical, gifts like free meals, pens, posters, books, and free
samples are offered to physicians in an effort to influence their prescription practices.