Big Pharma's Philosophy - Treat the Symptoms Rather Than the Issue...

Of all the ancillary care health professions, registered dietitians are the least covered by Medicare and Medicaid. I figured out that angle early on in my career. They'll pay us to work in dialysis facilities, but not in family practice clinics when diabetes and hypertension are first diagnosed.
 
AnnieA said:
Of all the ancillary care health professions, registered dietitians are the least covered by Medicare and Medicaid. I figured out that angle early on in my career. They'll pay us to work in dialysis facilities, but not in family practice clinics when diabetes and hypertension are first diagnosed.
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Excellent point. And what's most crucial for staying healthy? A balanced, nutritional diet.
 
Agreed. I have a disease that no doctor has been able to give me relief from, let alone actually cure.
They, however, seem quite happy to perform ultra expensive invasive surgery.
 
My view of this is that of course big Pharma and medicine is a business, and businesses are always about maximizing their profit. All businesses are and to survive and grow they have to be. We just have to recognize that when dealing with and regulating them.

AnnieA said:
Of all the ancillary care health professions, registered dietitians are the least covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
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I agree this is a problem, but I think the blame lies with us and our politicians. These are government programs we fund and we should decide what they pay for....
win231 said:
"Doctors are Gods"
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Doctors are just very highly trained and highly paid technicians, kind of like automobile mechanics... For the most part I trust my doctors, but am realistic about who they are and their limits. Same as the guy who works on my car.
 
Lotsa hand wringing and pearl clutching in this thread - so here's the real deal: don't trust big pharma? Just don't use any of their products. No one is forcing you (at least yet). Think all doctors are money grubbing quacks? Quit seeing all of them.

Problem solved.
 
The drug companies spend billions per year on their "ask your doctor" TV ads. Those who take these drugs pay for those ads. The potential "side effects rhetoric" that consumes most of these ads indicates any number of potential problems....which would probable require More Drugs.

Our entire health care system is Profit Driven, and there is little incentive to offer Cures if delaying or minimizing the problem with drugs helps to keep the money flowing.

The U.S. population pays twice as much for health care than most other nations....and yet, we rank way down the list, in terms of overall quality of care. I hope the day comes when our people wake up and recognize that Socialized Health Care is NOT the "demon" that our present system would have us believe.
 
Alligatorob said:
My view of this is that of course big Pharma and medicine is a business, and businesses are always about maximizing their profit. All businesses are and to survive and grow they have to be. We just have to recognize that when dealing with and regulating them.


I agree this is a problem, but I think the blame lies with us and our politicians. These are government programs we fund and we should decide what they pay for....
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There's profit and then there's highway robbery ...or blood money as a high profile figure at the rally linked below calls pharmaceutical companies astronomical profits.

And good luck with change from most of our politicians. The pharmaceutical industry spends more than any other industry in lobbying the US Congress--and that's above board. Wonder how much more goes under the table? They employ approximately three lobbyists for every one senator and representative.

Big Pharma Greed article 21 Sept 2021
This article covers a protest rally just this Tuesday outside the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America's office which is Big Pharma's lobbying headquarters. (Warning ...article content gets political)


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Alligatorob said:
My view of this is that of course big Pharma and medicine is a business, and businesses are always about maximizing their profit. All businesses are and to survive and grow they have to be. We just have to recognize that when dealing with and regulating them.
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We should also recognize that it's a problem when business is in bed with regulators (and regulators with policy-makers/legislators).
An even bigger problem is that we "Little Guys" don't hear much about it, and don't have the power to change it. Sure, we can vote, but that hasn't been working very well.
 
Nathan said:
I'm certainly not here to defend big pharma, the idea that "profits over patient cure" is hard to look past.

Truth is: Big Pharma has saved my life and my wife's life several times each.
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I agree countless great and even life-saving treatments have come out of Big Pharma, but wouldn't you agree there are potential problems when a very generous portion of the FDA's funding is provided by Big Pharma? That's only one example of many "conflict of interest" issues that are common within Big Pharma and the system.
 
AnnieA said:
There's profit and then there's highway robbery ...or blood money as a high profile figure at the rally linked below calls pharmaceutical companies astronomical profits.

And good luck with change from most of our politicians. The pharmaceutical industry spends more than any other industry in lobbying the US Congress--and that's above board. Wonder how much more is under the table? They employ approximately three lobbyists for every one senator and representative.
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Anne, how would you regulate the industry without reducing its effectiveness?
 
Alligatorob said:
Anne, how would you regulate the industry without reducing its effectiveness?
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Set costs for consumers at a reasonable markup beyond research and manufacturing costs. Read about the EpiPen scandal to learn the abuses of price gouging.

Set limits on the damn lobbying dollars and prohibit political campaign contributions. If you purchase pharmaceutical products, you!!! are paying for that as well as the product.
 
AnnieA said:
Set costs for consumers at a reasonable markup beyond research and manufacturing costs.
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That sounds good, but the government has no good track record setting prices. Not sure how it would work.
AnnieA said:
Set limits on the damn lobbying dollars and prohibit political campaign contributions.
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I'd like to see an end to all lobbying, period. However it has proven hard to regulate constitutionally.

Not saying your ideas are bad, to the contrary I think they are good, just not sure how to make them work...
 
Don M. said:
The drug companies spend billions per year on their "ask your doctor" TV ads. Those who take these drugs pay for those ads. The potential "side effects rhetoric" that consumes most of these ads indicates any number of potential problems....which would probable require More Drugs.

Our entire health care system is Profit Driven, and there is little incentive to offer Cures if delaying or minimizing the problem with drugs helps to keep the money flowing.

The U.S. population pays twice as much for health care than most other nations....and yet, we rank way down the list, in terms of overall quality of care. I hope the day comes when our people wake up and recognize that Socialized Health Care is NOT the "demon" that our present system would have us believe.
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I'm surprised that people don't ask themselves a very simple question when they see those drug ads & hear that suggestion:
"Talk to your doctor about adding _________(drug) to the ones you're already taking."
Your doctor spent several years in medical school, passed exams, & is required to regularly attend continuing education. Why would a patient need to tell him what drugs to prescribe?
I would never hire an attorney & say: "This is how I want you to handle my case."
 
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Murrmurr said:
I agree countless great and even life-saving treatments have come out of Big Pharma, but wouldn't you agree there are potential problems when a very generous portion of the FDA's funding is provided by Big Pharma? That's only one example of many "conflict of interest" issues that are common within Big Pharma and the system.
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The FDA's federal budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2012 totaled $4.36 billion,[7] while the proposed 2014 budget is $4.7 billion.[17] About $2 billion of this budget is generated by user fees. Wikipedia
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User fees, which do not automatically translate into "favorable" business treatment...but nevertheless a potential area of abuse.

A study of the 'money trail' of political contributions by Big Pharma to members of Congress might prove enlightening.
 
Nathan said:
A study of the 'money trail' of political contributions by Big Pharma to members of Congress might prove enlightening.
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Yes, but not surprising... I think the only way we have to control this kind of thing is to vote against those taking the money. And to do that we need to know who they are. Problem is that may not leave us with many people to vote for.
 

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