| Pharmaceutical sales are skyrocketing while the | | | | science as well.) Is it any surprise that two thirds |
| health of Americans declines. The problem is | | | | of visits to doctors' offices result in a drug being |
| philosophical in that drugs do not cure and patients | | | | prescribed? Some patients may be on numerous |
| are looking for quick fixes. | | | | medications prescribed by various specialists while |
| The U.S. government's annual bill for healthcare | | | | not one of them knows, or could even predict, |
| spending - $3,925 per person - significantly | | | | the health consequences of the interactions. (I |
| exceeds that of all other nations. Despite this, our | | | | recently discovered that my elderly mother, |
| current health care system is increasingly failing | | | | suffering from a variety of ailments, including |
| both patients and medical practitioners. Of 13 | | | | dementia, was on 17 different medications. Not |
| nations, the U.S. is last for neonatal and infant | | | | only did she not know what she was taking or |
| mortality, last for years of potential life lost, 10th | | | | when she did, neither did any of her physicians.) |
| for age-adjusted mortality, 11th and 12th for | | | | Little wonder pharmaceutical toxicity is one of the |
| female and male life expectancy respectively. | | | | major factors contributing to medical care being |
| Chronic degenerative diseases - heart disease, | | | | the leading cause of death in the U.S. |
| cancer, arthritis, obesity, etc. - are at epidemic | | | | [Why Modern Medicine is the Greatest Threat to |
| levels and create the ideal long-term customers to | | | | Health] |
| grow the medical industry. | | | | Aside from profiteering and marketing, the most |
| Looking for a culprit? Consider that pharmaceutical | | | | fundamental flaw in the system is philosophical. |
| company profits are so large they outstrip every | | | | Doctors and pharmaceutical companies think |
| other American industry by far. Americans spend | | | | about names of diseases and removal of |
| over $500 billion on drugs. The drug companies | | | | symptoms, not cure or prevention. They chase, |
| claim that they need large earnings | | | | but the race is rigged so they never catch. |
| ($124,835,595,000 in 1999, for example) to | | | | Enabling such a system to prosper and flourish is |
| conduct their research, but just one of every five | | | | a public that also has a flawed philosophy. They |
| dollars the drug industry collects actually goes to | | | | want to live life as they choose, carpe diem, |
| drug research. Some drug companies spend twice | | | | thinking only of momentary relief, pleasure and |
| as much annually for marketing and advertising. | | | | convenience. When something goes wrong with |
| From the years 1996 to 2001, pharmaceutical | | | | their health they don't want instruction on how to |
| companies spent $3 billion on consumer | | | | change lifestyle, but rather want to use the |
| advertising. Many of the advertised | | | | power of money (preferably the government's) |
| pharmaceuticals are not (contrary to popular | | | | to buy their way out with a silver drug bullet that |
| belief) FDA-approved, and the information | | | | immediately takes the problem away. We spend |
| contained in the advertisements is often | | | | much for dying, little for living. |
| misleading and not entirely accurate. Now there is | | | | American health will continue to slip and our |
| even a new wave of drugs being marketed to | | | | economy will continue to be drained by a failing |
| alleviate the side effects of other drugs being | | | | healthcare system until the underlying flawed |
| marketed (e.g. NexiumTM to relieve digestive | | | | philosophies are changed. Medicine must change |
| problems created by pain killers). | | | | from naming diseases and treating symptoms to |
| Pharmaceutical companies have enormous | | | | prevention and cure. Yes, that means the medical |
| influence on physicians through the billions of | | | | care system should be trying to put itself out of |
| dollars of marketing resources. Drug companies in | | | | business, not create a growth industry of illness. |
| the U.S. spend, on average, $10,000 each year | | | | On the other hand, people must change by taking |
| per physician to influence their behavior through | | | | the responsibility for controlling their own health |
| subsidizing studies in major journals, aggressive | | | | destiny. As it stands, the public has become a |
| marketing by drug reps (in some instances trained | | | | pawn of commercial medical interests. |
| exactly how long to shake a doctor's hand), | | | | Ultimately health is something we do to ourselves, |
| advertisements and sponsorship of medical | | | | not something others do to us. When that fact is |
| education programs for doctors and medical | | | | faced, the medical-pharmaceutical complex will |
| residents. (Such support of education and science | | | | shrivel to a cottage industry and the public will be |
| subtly brainwashes physicians into thinking | | | | the better for it. |
| symptom-based medicine is sound knowledge and | | | | |