Corruption of the Pharmaceutical Industry in America

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"In the past two decades or so, health care has been commercialized as never before, and professionalism in medicine seems to be giving way to entrepreneurialism," commented Arnold S. Relman, professor of medicine and social medicine at Harvard Medical School (Wekesser 66). This statement may have a great deal of bearing on reality. The tangled knot of insurers, physicians, drug companies, and hospitals that we call our health system are not as unselfish and focused on the patients' needs as people would like to think. Pharmaceutical companies are particularly ruthless, many of them spending millions of dollars per year to convince doctors to prescribe their drugs and to convince consumers that their specific brand of drug is needed in order to cure their ailments. For instance, they may present symptoms that are perfectly harmless, and lead potential citizens to believe that, because of these symptoms, they are "sick" and in need of medication. In some instances, the pharmaceutical industry in the United States misleads both the public and medical professionals by participating in acts of both deceptive marketing practices and bribery, and therefore does not act within the best interests of the consumers. In America today, many people are in need of medical help. In fact,the Federal Trade Commission estimates that 75% of the population complain of physical problems (Federal Trade Commission 9). They complain, for example, of fatigue, colds, headaches, and countless other "ailments." When these symptoms strike, 65% purchase over-the counter, or OTC, drugs. In order to take advantage of this demand, five billion dollars is spent by the pharmaceutical industry on marketing each year . This marketing, usually in the form of advert... ... middle of paper ... ... Officer on Proposed Trade Regulation Rule: Concerning the Advertising of Over-the Counter Antacids. Washington, D.C.: Federal Trade Commission, 1979. "Herbal Roulette." Consumer Reports. November 1995: 698-704. Inlander, Charles B. and Ed Weiner. Take This Book to the Hospital With You. Emmaus, Penn: Rodale Press, 1985. The New Medicine Show. Vernon, NY: Consumer Union, 1989. Newspage. Drug Industry Profits Rise. Online. 29 January 1997. http://www.newspage.com/NEWSPAGE/info/d15/d1/d6/public/B.n0128170.501. nap66100.htm Payer, Lynn. Disease-Mongers: How Doctors, Drug Companies, and Medical Insurers are Making You Feel Sick. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1992. Robins, Natalie. The Girl Who Died Twice. New York: Delacorte Press, 1995. Wekesser, Carol. Health Care in America: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1994.

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