Are The AMA, FDA, and Big Pharma Causing a Drug Epidemic?

Many prescription drug TV commercials show a beautiful scene, giving the viewer an illusion of well-being; that is if you take this “miracle” drug of course!

Oh, you do get the “run down” of all the potential side effects; often including death…but hey…“feel more like yourself again…call your doctor to see if this or that drug is right for you.” (and usually it is)

And don’t let the possible side-effect of death prevent you from “feeling healthy” again!

Highly Influenced by Suggestion

We are a society that is highly influenced by suggestion. If this were not the case, then advertisements and marketing would be useless business. However, advertisements and marketing are unbelievable successful especially in convincing you that you need something that you really don’t.

It is well known that the secret behind marketing isn’t necessarily the sale of the actual product, but in the selling of the concept. You know it well. If you buy this car, you’ll be sexier…if you wear this make-up, you’ll look younger…if you wear these tennis shoes, you’ll be “cool”…and on and on.

I’m sure we all could take a look at all our products that we “had to have” and in retrospect realize the truth; you were manipulated in a very skilled way.

It wasn’t that many years ago that it was legal to advertise cigarettes and alcohol with great frequency on the TV. Although there still remain a few alcohol commercials with the added phase “drink responsibly”, there has been a complete ban on the advertising of cigarettes.

After all, cigarettes are dangerous and addictive with thousands who suffer the faith of lung and pancreatic cancer, emphysema and COPD (to name a few).

And now we even have the scary commercials highlighting people who have suffered tragically from smoking, in hopes of convincing the still smoking society to take the plunge and quit the nasty habit.

Interestingly, our beloved AMA is currently being very vocal, calling on the television industry to stop airing alcohol commercials before 10 pm. They state that the youth are heavily influenced by these commercials and it may trigger their desires to drink at younger ages.

Even more interesting is the chairman of the AMA, J. Edward Hill stated, “It’s time TV executives and the alcohol industry stop profiting at the hands of those most harmed by drinking.” As reported by the Boston Globe, back in 2002.

Do you smell something odd? Like the stench of hypocrisy?

Subtle Medical Hypocrisy

The hypocrisy comes in the name of prescription drug advertisements with those drugs presented with an “aire” of well-being followed by a quick run down of all the drugs side-effects.

How is this different than the health concerns of either smoking or drinking?

Other than you are given the virtual green light with the prescription drugs by your ethical doctor of course.

Or is it really ethical? After all prescription drugs are for your health. Right?

With the AMA laying hard on the TV industry for making profit off from alcohol commercials, it would seem like an ethical act indeed if it wasn’t for a little thing called “The billion Dollar Big Pharma Profit Machine”! And don’t forget the seductive dance between these Big Pharma companies and medical doctors; seducing them into writing prescriptions – and in mass numbers! But don’t feel bad for the bullied MD, they are well taken care of with impressively lucrative “kick–backs”.

Have you ever been told by your doctor, “Well, just give this drug a try for a few weeks and see how it goes…if it doesn’t work we can always switch to a different drug”.

Or how about being prescribed a drug without even having an actual physical or lab tests?

I even know a woman who was told that she should be on Lipitor, despite the fact that her blood cholesterol blood levels were perfectly normal.

The reason given: “well at you age…”

If the AMA is so interested in the TV industry making profit, where are the watchdogs when it comes to the AMA and their TV profits?

Where is our “protector”…The FDA? Or is there a deeper meaning as to why they are called the Food and Drug Association?

The “Healthy Choice” for Poor Health (FDA Approved-Of Course)

So, what was done to replace these ads promoting poor health such as cigarettes and alcohol? Why prescription drug commercials of course; the healthy choice for poor health!

One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of these prescription drug commercials! Currently, on the TV, both standard broadcasting channels as well as cable have a never-ending onslaught.

Just to take a poll of how many drug commercials there are, I recording them for only two days. And I watched a total of four different channels for three hours each for a total time twelve hours. This is what I recording in those short twelve hours!

(Also take note as to HOW MANY TIMES each drug was advertised!)

Erectile Dysfunction

• Levitra (5 times)
• Viagra (3 times)
• Cialis (10 times)

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Psoriasis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Crohn’s Disease

• Humira (3 times)
• Enbrel (5 times)

Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Orenica (2 times)

Depression (as add on), manic/mixed depression, schizophrenia

• Abilfy (8 times)

Depression, Anxiety, diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia

• Cymbalta (2 times)

Diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia

• Lyrica (7 times)

Alzheimer’s

• Aricept (2 times)

Asthma

• Singular (3 times)

Rosacea

• Oracia (1 time)

Cholesterol

• Crestor (2 times)
• Lipitor (9 times)

Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure

• Caduet (3 times)

Allergies

• Flonase (10 times)

Insomnia

• Lunesta (3 times)
• AmbienCR (12 times)

Overactive Bladder

• Enablex (4 times)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

• Flowmax (5 times)

Osteoporosis

• Reclast (3 times)
• Boniva (9 times)
• Actonel (2 times)

Quick question…Just how many different drugs do we really need for erectile dysfunction anyway…3…4…10?

Perhaps we should be more concerned as to why so many men (young and old) have ED in the first place, right?

Despite the commercials that show happy people, beautiful scenery, bouncy cute little water balloons, etc, comes horrific side-effects to all these drugs. And with even more new drugs introduced at alarming rates, it’s difficult to keep up!

In many cases, these side-effects have left the person’s life in ruins; far worse than the original symptoms for which the drug was prescribed in the first place!

When did we become so drug dependent, especially when there is research regarding nutritional deficiencies with respect to every disease that was listed above?

Obviously our so-called “War on drugs” was lost a long time ago.

Ah yes, that was for illegal drugs.

And illegal drugs kill you in an unlawful manner whereas ‘legal prescription drugs’ kill in a more honorable way; with the FDA and AMA stamp of approval.

Welcome to The USA “Healthcare” System!