Drug Craziness

How many commercials do you see on TV in an evening for drugs? The ones I absolutely love are the ones that are only a name, and without any clue what it's a drug for, you're supposed to go ask your doctor for it. Worse yet, are the variety of drugs for ED -so he "can always be prepared." What IS IT about putting matching bathtubs on the beach that's supposed to be hot? It's enough to make one sick and need some medicine!

Drug companies weren't allowed to advertise on TV until 1997. According to Michael Murray, drug companies are spending over $10 Billion a year on direct to consumer advertising; spending over $20 Billion a year marketing to practicing physicians ($50,000 per doctor); and it has resulted in an additional 30 million prescriptions being written last year. While over the last 20 years only about 150 lives have been lost to ephedra and other natural health products, in the same time period over 2 million people have died from adverse drug reactions. And yet, most of those drugs are still on the market, while ephedra and most of the natural products have been forced off the store shelves.

Sadly, if one is desperate from the symptoms of a medical problem, the television commercials can be seriously alluring. The ads make a cure or a reduction in symptoms look almost blissful while the ear and mind numb over at the dull droning of the lengthy side effects being rattled off while the formerly sick individuals on the screen are now partying and happy. People with desperate health conditions are usually grasping at straws and it is a simple matter to be lured past the warnings of side effects by the rationale that maybe I won't be one of the statistics that are affected adversely.

The amount of money exchanging hands in the pharmaceutical/medical industry is exhorbitant. As such, it's a mine field for patients. Lobbying interests are protecting the money. The FDA is compromised with biases. Who will protect you and your family from the millions of adverse drug reactions possible? Only one person really! That person is you! You have to take your health into your own hands. You have to do your own research; seek out your own options and not be afraid to raise questions and stand up and say no to the prescriptions being passed out like phony $20 bills at a forger's convention. Fortunately, in this day and time there is the internet and lots of information at your fingertips to help make informed decisions possible. I encourage you to use every means at your disposal. Afterall, your life could depend on it.