Is Big Pharma hopelessly corrupt?

The drug companies newest game. Interesting that the practice is not allowed in the medicare program but 50% brandname discount just went into effect.I bet prices are going to go way upwww.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/business/02coupon.html

I wondered why don't they just lower the cost of the med for everyone instead of offering assistance to those who can't pay.

As a solid middle class person it bugs me that I'm never eligible for any financial aid. It's a nasty game that insurers play. Of course lower income people need help but so do we. Fair is fair. Lots of middle class people can't afford their Rx or even basic health insurance.

Yeah, I'm with both of you on that. I'm tired of being the back that everyone uses! Sad thing is that if I didn't go with my husband's insurance this year, I'd be paying totally out my pocket for these meds. I think the American public is in for a real shocker the next few years -- hopefully people will stand up and protest and some reform will be made. Even if the new healthcare reform is repealed, I can't see my company changing back to the "old" healthcare system -- heck they are making a profit off us now.

I took early retirement. I do have a decent pension check, but then almost half of it goes back out for insurance, copays, etc. Oh, but I do have choices. I could stop spending that money and just wait to die.

Q, I thought they had Universal Health care in Canada? Or do you just by-pass that and have private insurance?

I believe that is what the US was trying to do with their healthcare program, but that has since gone awry...as usual. Now it's just out of control, lol.

I suppose there is no easy answer in trying to give universal healthcare. There is always give and take, or there's nothing for free! ha.

 

I think the much larger issue could perhaps be expressed in the question "do corporations exhibit the behavior of a psychotic person" because under the law in the U.S. corporations are people.

See the documentary "The Corporation", then you decide. IMHO, the answer is clearly yes.
http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=312

Watch just the parts about Monsanto and rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) or rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin). I think if you watch that, you'll conclude Monsanto is corrupt. Watch the part about terminator seeds, and you'll conclude Monsanto is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Devil himself.

I only buy dairy products that do NOT use growth hormones. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and I believe the entire European Union banned it by about 2000, but here in the good ol' U.S. of A., where everything is for sale to the highest bidder, you can still get these toxins in your dairy products and the FDA warning label (they side with Monsanto) for it is pathetic.

However, back to the subject of corruption and Big Pharma, read up on Nexium and I think most will conclude the answer is yes. I switched from Brand Nexium (more than $90 a month) to generic omeprazole (less than $10 a month) with no ill effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexium#Controversy

Peace&Harmony said...
I found an interesting article about Big Pharma, FDA, and Compounding pharmacies. It's a real eye opener. This explains how drugs available to us are not being prescribed in traditional medicine.
http://otiswoodardmd.typepad.com/

I do believe that big Pharma spends much money to promote legislation that will help them; however, this article is logically flawed.

This article provides the following argument:

"Estriol is one of the naturally occurring hormones in females and is at it highest levels in the body during pregnancy. Logically how can something that is produced by a properly functioning healthy human body be “a serious threat to the public health?”

Hormones can have very severe side effects. Hormone therapy can cause the blood to clot in some people. It also increases the risk breast cancer. In the US, one in eight women will eventually get breast cancer. In some countries, breast cancer rates are much lower. Yes. We are living longer. But one in eight is still too high of a figure.

Further down the page, the blogger talks about the hormone cortisol. He recommends it for preventing the flu! A dosage of 80 mgs per day until you feel better and then start the tapper. OMG. Just because the body produces something on its own does not make it safe. Cortisol interferes with the immune system and bone cell function and prevents the intestine from effectively absorbing calcium. It can result in serious infections and osteoporosis.

The blogger say, "Getting cortisol can be a challenge, unless you are a patient of mine or have had a consultation with me within the past year. In that case, your biggest challenge will be picking up the phone, calling me, and asking me to prescribe cortisol for you. I will be glad to do so. I might even do it if I haven't seen you within the past year: that would depend on the circumstances of your situation."

Very scary.

Post Edited (subdued) : 1/17/2011 1:24:22 PM (GMT-7)

Cortisol...well, just be stressed 24/7...for many of us, that would be NORMAL and one wouldn't even have to pay for it!!!

q