Comments on: Big Pharma: Marketing Disease and Pushing Drugs http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/ A better life through natural health, fitness, and personal development. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:17:53 +0000 hourly 1 By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6703 Vin Miller Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:10:16 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6703 Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, the health insurance industry is very powerful as well. It's unfortunate that there is so much influence, even outside of the issues with prescription medication, distracting many medical professionals from what matters most. Hi Mike, thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, the health insurance industry is very powerful as well. It’s unfortunate that there is so much influence, even outside of the issues with prescription medication, distracting many medical professionals from what matters most.

]]> By: mike http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6640 mike Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:21:41 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6640 thanks for the great article. I used to, many years ago, work in the health insurance industry. A lot of what you wrote about are the same gimmicks insurance (HMO in particular) use(d) to get doctors to keep costs down, ie: adding a year end bonus if the doctor's overall 'expenses' were less than a particular amount. Having been stuck in an HMO at one point and knowing the system I actually put off a surgery until January, where the doctors had a fresh budget work with. thanks for the great article.
I used to, many years ago, work in the health insurance industry. A lot of what you wrote about are the same gimmicks insurance (HMO in particular) use(d) to get doctors to keep costs down, ie: adding a year end bonus if the doctor’s overall ‘expenses’ were less than a particular amount.
Having been stuck in an HMO at one point and knowing the system I actually put off a surgery until January, where the doctors had a fresh budget work with.

]]> By: meatlessmama http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6636 meatlessmama Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:08:38 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6636 " The food choices that they were making were creating the need for the medication which was in turn inspiring even worse food choices. It’s a vicious cycle and getting out of it usually requires more awareness than simply knowing what the cheapest generic drug is." Exactly! I wish everyone could get this. More and cheaper drugs are not the answer. In most cases healthier food and lifestyle would eliminate the need for drugs. ” The food choices that they were making were creating the need for the medication which was in turn inspiring even worse food choices. It’s a vicious cycle and getting out of it usually requires more awareness than simply knowing what the cheapest generic drug is.”

Exactly! I wish everyone could get this. More and cheaper drugs are not the answer. In most cases healthier food and lifestyle would eliminate the need for drugs.

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6633 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:39:17 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6633 Hi Nadia, thank you for your comment! This is a sad scenario. <a href="http://naturalbias.com/fresh-the-movie-your-part-in-our-broken-food-system/" rel="nofollow">Fresh the movie</a> or <a href="http://naturalbias.com/9-reasons-why-you-must-see-food-inc/" rel="nofollow">Food, Inc.</a>, I can't remember which, showed a family who couldn't afford much other than fast food partially because of the expense of the father's diabetes medication. The food choices that they were making were creating the need for the medication which was in turn inspiring even worse food choices. It's a vicious cycle and getting out of it usually requires more awareness than simply knowing what the cheapest generic drug is. Thanks for pointing out Medtipster. Hi Nadia, thank you for your comment!

This is a sad scenario. Fresh the movie or Food, Inc., I can’t remember which, showed a family who couldn’t afford much other than fast food partially because of the expense of the father’s diabetes medication. The food choices that they were making were creating the need for the medication which was in turn inspiring even worse food choices. It’s a vicious cycle and getting out of it usually requires more awareness than simply knowing what the cheapest generic drug is.

Thanks for pointing out Medtipster.

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6632 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:57 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6632 Hi Stephen, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree that big government is more scary than big corporations. However, the distinction between the two is becoming less clear. I also agree that the internet is a major asset in being able to overcome this problem and I think that we all need to take responsibility for ourselves no matter what. Hi Stephen, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree that big government is more scary than big corporations. However, the distinction between the two is becoming less clear. I also agree that the internet is a major asset in being able to overcome this problem and I think that we all need to take responsibility for ourselves no matter what.

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6630 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:55:31 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6630 Thanks, Bruce! That's a great article from Wired. It's a shame that the medical community regards the placebo as just a benchmark and sometimes even a nuisance rather than seeing it's potential to be an effective therapy in it's own right. The following paragraph sums this up perfectly. "Beecher's prescription helped cure the medical establishment of outright quackery, but it had an insidious side effect. By casting placebo as the villain in RCTs, he ended up stigmatizing one of his most important discoveries. The fact that even dummy capsules can kick-start the body's recovery engine became a problem for drug developers to overcome, rather than a phenomenon that could guide doctors toward a better understanding of the healing process and how to drive it most effectively." I disagree with the statement that placebo can't eliminate a tumor, and it's really unfortunate that the drug industry is exploiting the eagerness of other cultures to embrace the use of pharmaceuticals. Thanks, Bruce! That’s a great article from Wired. It’s a shame that the medical community regards the placebo as just a benchmark and sometimes even a nuisance rather than seeing it’s potential to be an effective therapy in it’s own right. The following paragraph sums this up perfectly.

“Beecher’s prescription helped cure the medical establishment of outright quackery, but it had an insidious side effect. By casting placebo as the villain in RCTs, he ended up stigmatizing one of his most important discoveries. The fact that even dummy capsules can kick-start the body’s recovery engine became a problem for drug developers to overcome, rather than a phenomenon that could guide doctors toward a better understanding of the healing process and how to drive it most effectively.”

I disagree with the statement that placebo can’t eliminate a tumor, and it’s really unfortunate that the drug industry is exploiting the eagerness of other cultures to embrace the use of pharmaceuticals.

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6629 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:27:54 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6629 Hi meatlessmama, thank you for your comment! I've been surprised many times by people who look fairly healthy but are on one or more medications. It makes me sad every time. Hi meatlessmama, thank you for your comment!

I’ve been surprised many times by people who look fairly healthy but are on one or more medications. It makes me sad every time.

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6628 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:22:23 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6628 Hi Jon, thanks for your comment and your effort to help make a difference! In regard to what Sharona said, I certainly don't think it hurts to express your concerns to local politicians, but it might be more effective to share issues like this with friends and family. If you have the time and motivation, you can do both. :) Hi Jon, thanks for your comment and your effort to help make a difference! In regard to what Sharona said, I certainly don’t think it hurts to express your concerns to local politicians, but it might be more effective to share issues like this with friends and family. If you have the time and motivation, you can do both. :)

]]> By: Vin Miller http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6627 Vin Miller Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:12:39 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6627 Hey Bud, Selling Sickness is sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read along with many other great books. :) Thanks for pointing out the typo! Hey Bud,

Selling Sickness is sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read along with many other great books. :) Thanks for pointing out the typo!

]]> By: ægil http://naturalbias.com/big-pharma-marketing-disease-and-pushing-drugs/#comment-6618 ægil Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:36:08 +0000 http://naturalbias.com/?p=7984#comment-6618 Slowly but surely they'll fall under their own weight… only once we learn! Slowly but surely they’ll fall under their own weight… only once we learn!

]]>