Tuesday, July 17, 2012

No shit ...

I avoid prescription drugs whenever I can and if a doctor wants to prescribe me something other than an antibiotic, I ask him how much he was paid to prescribe it. Know why? I used to run the company vehicle fleet for a major pharmaceutical company and got to know a bunch of field reps. I know what goes on with doctors and Big Pharma and this comes as no surprise.

By now you’ve likely heard that drug maker GlaxoSmithKline must shell out $3 billion for the fraudulent sale and marketing of drugs including the popular antidepressant Wellbutrin (also sold as the smoking cessation drug Zyban). In the Big Bertha of healthcare fraud settlements, the British pharmaceutical giant has admitted to playing fast and loose in its branding of Wellbutrin and marketing it for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

...

When a company gives doctors free trips to exotic places, new cars, and nice dinners at fancy restaurants to push their wares, the climate is conducive to large scale fraud. Shit like this happens all the time.

4 comments:

Gordon said...

The way the doc got me on the two pretty unpronounceable meds for my blood pressure was by dosing me and then checking my BP until it came out where he wanted. I accused him of being like a race mechanic - send me out for a coupla hot laps, bring me in and check the plugs, fiddle with the carbs, etc. He got a kick outta that. Heh.

Some of the cures are worse than the disease, given the side effects. I don't think they should be allowed to advertise on TV.

Fixer said...

Some of the cures are worse than the disease, given the side effects.

No shit. The Mrs. has been on every 'statin' for her cholesterol and the side effects knock her down. She got the best advice from the pharmacist who gave her a list of cholesterol-reducing foods and told her to get exercise. She hasn't been on them for a month and she feels like a new person. Fuck those things.

Gordon said...

A healthy minor change in lifestyle is far better than masking bad habits with factory dope. They'll mention it in passing but they really don't want you to change and fuck with the bottom line.

Stick with that pharmacist.

Gordon said...

Masking = Banana peels in the rear end. Not a reference to Mrs. F. Heh.