It's the pharmaceutical industry that can't be trusted
Posted by Pharmer24: You just cant believe everything thats on the internet and in medical journals.
Pharmer24 is quite right. Today, the fraud and corruption in the health world is staggering. The British Medical Journal devoted a whole edition to the pharmaceutical industry's corrupt practices in 2003. Other journals have also taken up this theme. Because of drugs industry, our health is now in more danger than at any time in our history.
‘A lot of money can be made from healthy people who believe they are sick. Pharmaceutical companies sponsor diseases and promote them to prescribers [doctors] and consumers.’
These are not the words of some anti-capitalist agitator. They are from the introduction to an article in the doctors’ own British Medical Journal.[1] The article goes on to say ‘Some forms of “medicalization” may now be better described as “disease mongering” – extending the boundaries of treatable illness to expand markets for new products.’
The American Medical Student Association, which represents 30,000 students, interns, and residents throughout the United States, is running a campaign called PharmFree which aims to break the entanglement between that the pharmaceutical industry, and medical students and the medical profession.[2] The association has called for an end to gift giving, free lunches, sponsored education, and paid speaking. Medical students are urged to sign a ‘PharmFree pledge’ to seek out unbiased sources of healthcare information. They even take a recently revised Hippocratic oath, called a ‘model oath for the new physician’, which includes the commitments:
‘I will make medical decisions ... free from the influence of advertising or promotion. I will not accept money, gifts, or hospitality that will create a conflict of interest in my education, practice, teaching, or research.’
There are many other small campaigns, similar this one, starting up throughout the industry.
One would expect a purveyor of drugs to support their use. However, we all need to be aware that the ills of today are caused by deficiencies in nutrition, NOT deficiencies in drugs.
But, of course, if everyone was healthy, Pharmer24 would be out of a job.
References
1. Moynihan R. Selling sickness: the pharmaceutical industry and disease mongering. Br Med J 2002; 324: 886–91.
2. Moynihan R. Who pays for the pizza? Redefining the relationships between doctors and drug companies. 2: Disentanglement. Br Med J 2003; 326: 1193-1196.
Last edited by barrygroves : Fri, May-05-06 at 01:44.
|