| PILLS, PILLS and MORE PILLS | | | | strokes. What was my doctor thinking of when |
| We are fortunate to live in a time having | | | | he put me on these drugs? Or was his decision |
| medications that alleviate uncomfortable, even life | | | | motivated by propaganda by some drug |
| threatening symptoms of physical and mental | | | | salesman? |
| dis-ease. Yet, traditional medicine in the developed | | | | These designer, non-generic drugs are very |
| countries continue to use only two primary | | | | expensive for both the Medicare Advantage |
| methods to treat patients complaints; medication, | | | | program (ultimately the tax-payer), my insurance |
| generally in the form of pills, and surgery. | | | | company, and for me with an expensive co-pay, |
| When you visit your doctor and have a | | | | when they paid at all. I live on a fixed income and |
| symptom, you get a pill, a second symptom, | | | | paying of expensive drugs creates a financial |
| another pill, a third symptom still another pill with | | | | hardship for me. Additionally they put me in life |
| little regard for the drug interactions, neutralization | | | | threatening danger of an early death. |
| of the efficacy or increased effects that one | | | | The FDA as the alleged watchdog on drug safety |
| drug may have on another. | | | | is not doing its job. They are just another front |
| Take a woman in her sixties who has high blood | | | | for unscrupulous drug companies who value profit |
| pressure, headaches, and fatigue and is | | | | more than developing drugs that can save lives. |
| overweight. She will be given a pill to lower her | | | | They claim to be understaffed. |
| blood pressure, another to regulate her | | | | Take Advandia for example, it is prescribed to |
| cholesterol, another to increase her energy and | | | | over 1 million Americans for treatment of Type |
| yet another for her headaches, possibly another | | | | 11 Diabetes. In an analysis by Steven Nisson, M.D. |
| to regulate her weight. Five medications. She may | | | | of the Cleveland Clinic and former president of |
| get short-term relief but faces potential long-term | | | | the American College of Cardiology reported in |
| ramifications, including possible life threatening side | | | | the New England Journal of Medicine on May 21, |
| effects and complications. | | | | 2007 that his analysis of 42 clinical trials suggest |
| Where and how do doctors decide what drugs to | | | | that the drug could cause a 43% increase in heart |
| prescribe? From drug company representatives of | | | | attack risk. Yet doctors continue to prescribe it |
| course. They haunt offices of physicians offering | | | | for their patients. |
| bribes in the form of candy for the office staff | | | | Drugs are often tested by pharmaceutical |
| for "just a minute to talk to the doctor," to free | | | | companies on 25-year-old medical students who |
| samples, inscribed pens, to lavish gifts including | | | | are paid to be guinea pigs, and then after |
| cherished tickets to college and professional | | | | approved by the FDA prescribed for 65-year-old |
| sports games, trips and dinners in fancy | | | | woman or 75-year- old man who have different |
| restaurants. In fact a whopping 30 % of the | | | | body weights, blood pressures, and other medical |
| marketing budgets of pharmaceutical companies is | | | | problems. |
| used to "educate " physicians and lure them into | | | | The drug testers have a lot to lose by reporting |
| writing prescriptions for their latest banner drug. | | | | any side effects, namely that they may be |
| Other obvious methods of drug use seduction are | | | | excluded from the current test or future tests |
| television and print media ads to encourage people | | | | and thus lose the money they are paid. So even |
| to request a specific medication from their | | | | when they experience side effects they don't |
| doctors. | | | | report them. Even so-called double blind studies |
| This is blatant conflict of interest. | | | | have problems in credibility for the reasons |
| I have personally been prescribed Vioxx, Permex, | | | | outlined above. |
| Advandia and female hormones when generic and | | | | Congress must be more pro-active in: Overseeing |
| /or cheaper alternatives were/are available. I am | | | | the role of the FDA, regulating the conflict of |
| 74 years old and I have Type 11 diabetes with a | | | | interest between drug companies and physicians, |
| family history of heart disease, yet the Federal | | | | price controls. |
| Drug Administration (FDA) either warned or | | | | This is a serious issue for America and must be |
| removed all of these drugs from the market due | | | | addressed immediately. |
| to the danger of causing heart attacks and | | | | |