The Drug Companies Strike Back ...

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http://www.mercola.com/2004/oct/2/drug_companies.htm

 

The Drug Companies Strike Back ...

 

As prescription drug prices rise, politicians, journalists,

physicians and pharmaceutical companies play the blame game. It used

to be that drug companies received all the grief but their recent

rebuttals have put the magnifying glass on others, especially doctors.

 

In the face of FDA advisory committees and Attorney General lawsuits,

big name drug companies have volunteered to post results of all

clinical trials, even those unfavorable to their products.

 

Others have followed suit. The AMA is developing criteria for a

mandatory national registry of clinical trials, and more than 10 top

medical journals announced they will only publish studies if all the

clinical trials have been made available on a public registry.

 

However, authors of four new books still say the drug industry and

doctors who profit from it care more about dollars than making sense

of health problems. According to these experts, pharmaceutical firms

invest in getting the support they want -- from taking a doctor out to

lunch to funding most medical studies.

 

Several experts from various fields showed concern over " me-too "

drugs, or prescription medications that are similar to others on the

market. Critics say companies do this to save money because the

process is easier than finding breakthrough medications, which are

sorely needed. Pharmaceutical company officials insist these

medications work better in some patients than the original drug and

they offer patients a cheaper alternative.

 

Experts say it is hard to find researchers who have no ties to drug

companies and that they should be the ones coming out about negative

studies.

 

Still, others say the only source for information is the drug

companies and the need for neutral sources is great. Some states have

taken this problem into their own hands and will send out

pharmaceutical experts to visit practices and promote cost-effective

treatments.

 

USA Today September 14, 2004

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Though drugs are sometimes appropriate and at times can save a

person's life, most of the time they are unnecessary, harmful and

expensive.

 

In my opinion, drug companies are driven by profits and have used

their power to influence many areas of medicine. What is most

unfortunate is that this has resulted in many biased studies, which

ultimately lead to misleading information to the public.

 

The drug companies' intentions are evident in the $3 billion that was

spent in 2002 for advertising costs and the vast amounts of money they

donate toward grants and scholarships used to fund the costs of

medical schools. Their motives don't stop there as they are also

spending about $15 billion a year on physician marketing.

 

And while doctors play a role in the drugging of America, it's not

completely their fault. Most physicians have no clue that the drug

companies are spending (on average) $10,000 per doctor to influence

their behavior. The doctors, of course, do not receive a check, but

the perks can be quite significant.

 

One of the books in this article touches on all these aspects: " The

Truth about Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About

It, " by Dr. Marcia Angell.

 

I also recommend the book " Trust Us We're Experts. "

 

Related Articles:

 

Drug Firms Ignore Federal Law, Not Reporting Studies

 

How Could Drug Companies be so Evil?

 

U.S. Drug Researcher Imprisoned for FDA Fraud

 

Odds Are The Drug Industry is Paying Off Your Doctor

 

Questions Arise on U.S. Drug Policy