http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x79942Oh my.
kimmerspixelated (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 06:13 PM
Original message
Selling Sickness: Turning Healthy People into Patients
In his book, Selling Sickness, medical journalist Ray Moynihan reveals comments made by the head of Merck pharmaceuticals thirty years ago. The CEO of Merck was distressed that his company's products were limited to sick people. In an interview with Fortune, he openly wished for his company to be "more like Wrigley's chewing gum." He dreamed of making drugs for healthy people so they could "sell to everyone."
rest of long article deleted, as it pretty much says what franksolich has always said
Of course, the primitives are an easy sell.
Being ill is an effective way of getting attention, grabbing sympathy.
And especially if one gets "ill" on the taxpayers' dime.
Being sick makes the primitives feel "special."
There's other ways of getting attention, such as doing something productive, but it's just easier for the primitives to be "ill."
Warpy (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 06:41 PM
THE DEFROCKED WARPED PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message
1. A little truth and a lot of crap
Statins are overprescribed but they're lifesavers for people with known atherosclerotic disease as well as people with genetically determined high lipids. They are not dangerous for the vast majority who take them. TV ads oversell their use and undersell their potential side effects, but that's another subject entirely. They are proven to prolong reasonably healthy and functional life for patients who truly need them.
"Natural medicine" is not proven. Anecdotes are not proof. Where studies have been done according to the scientific method, little or no action beyond the placebo effect has been found.
Ultra refined food products like EFA and Omega 3 oil capsules are DRUGS, my friend, the same way refined plant materials from digoxin to opiates are drugs. The only difference is that there is strict quality control for drugs and no quality control for "natural medicine" nostrums. A huge amount of money is being made off this stuff for very little in the way of benefit. A well balanced diet would do more good. At least you'd know what you were getting.
I'm constantly astonished by the people who would rather place their trust in a for profit industry where there is no oversight at all and which is supported only by anecdote instead of in carefully researched and scientifically established treatment that actually works.
glinda (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 07:08 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. I want drug ads off of tv
HiFructosePronSyrup (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 07:13 PM
THE HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #3
5. Turn off your TV.
Problem solved.
Lorien (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 07:43 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. I agree. I think that all prescription drug advertising should be banned because only a physician knows if "Paxil is right for you". Want to lower drug costs? Get rid of their advertising budget. Hell, ban lobbying by drug companies and the drugs can sell for 25% of their current costs and still be hugely profitable!
LeftishBrit (1000+ posts) Sun Jan-03-10 05:29 AM
THE LOUTISH BRIT PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #6
16. I agree; they aren't allowed in the UK
Warpy (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 08:00 PM
THE DEFROCKED WARPED PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #3
7. I think we all do
starting with those two morons in the matching bathtubs.
All those ads do is sucker hypochondriacs while driving up the costs of medications that some people actually need.
They sucker the primitives too.
And drive up the burden on the taxpayers.
Hello_Kitty (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 06:46 PM
Response to Original message
2. The antibiotics I took to treat an infected cut sure seemed to cure the infection
I don't necessarily agree that drugs never cure ailments.
Penicillin cures, vaccinations prevent; all other drugs mask.
kimmerspixelated (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 06:04 PM
Response to Reply #2
10. But it was short term, not long-term.
A big difference.
Hello_Kitty (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 11:12 PM
Response to Reply #10
14. What??
They killed the bacteria that caused the infection. Permanently.
HiFructosePronSyrup (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 07:11 PM
THE HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message
4. Did you know there's a whole group specifically dedicated to woo woo?
You don't have to litter up GD with this garbage.
kimmerspixelated (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 06:06 PM
Response to Reply #4
13. Well at least 11 people didn't think it was garbage.
Woo woo my ass!
CreekDog (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-01-10 08:13 PM
Response to Original message
8. Everyone should go to the author's website and see what he is selling
http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com /
in case you were led to believe that he is above all that.
HiFructosePronSyrup (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 06:06 PM
THE HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #8
12. He's selling a sickness.
A sickness of the mind. A sickness of rationality and literacy.
uppityperson (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-02-10 11:28 PM
DOROTHY THE SNOBBISH PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message
15. Some truth but a lot of bs
"If you want to maintain or improve your health, do what the pharmaceutical companies do when they want to develop a new drug: Look to nature! Not only will you find therapies that work, they will be far safer and less expensive."
So it is safer for someone with heart failure to go eat foxglove rather than pay for pharmaceuticals? Bull puckey.
