Today’s article caught my eye because it is very representative of the type of pretzel logic used by drug firms, the FDA, and many conventional healthcare providers. I can almost picture executives and public relations people from the pharmaceutical companies huddled around a conference table to deal with this potentially disastrous crisis: “The public has too much information about the drugs we sell them!”

Almost 75% of Americans who were surveyed are concerned about the safety of prescription drugs, and the industry is scrambling before the bottom drops out of their cash cow. Perhaps one of the most telling revelations in the article below is the opinion of drug industry insiders that this lack of confidence in prescription drug safety is likely to be short-lived. How they could come to such a conclusion is anyone’s guess, but I suppose with all their marketing gurus and plants in the media and Big Government, they are certain that people will once again come to their senses and line up passively for their medications without questioning why these toxic substances are ruining the health and even taking the lives of so many millions every year.

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Lest we give in to a bit of sentimentality as the holidays approach, more dirt surfaced this week regarding the unethical practices of an industry that is increasingly tainted by illegal and deceptive maneuvers that have put the lives of millions at risk worldwide. In this latest episode, as the article below details, a respected figure on Public Radio has been caught taking undisclosed “consultation fees” from pharmaceutical firms in return for promoting their drugs on and off his long-running radio program. GlaxoSmithKline was quick to put the responsibility for these legal bribes on Dr. Goodwin. As they say, there is no honor amongst thieves.

This scandal comes on the tail of a government investigation culminated this fall that found drug maker Cephalon guilty of serious false marketing practices and other charges such as urging physicians to prescribe certain drugs for unsafe and unauthorized applications, including their use on children and mentally ill patients. The bulk of evidence against Cephalon came from a sales rep that agreed to wear a wire tap during a company conference. It appears Big Pharma has more in common with the Mafia than the free enterprise system.

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We have previously discussed on this blog how corrupt the drug company / FDA / academia network is, and today’s article gives some fascinating details into how this whole system works for the benefit of all, except patients, of course. It is particularly interesting how research that supports nutritional therapies is suppressed in favor of the mass marketing of dangerous drugs that often do more harm than good and do little to heal or prevent illness.

No matter what one’s opinion is regarding the outcome of the recent elections, let’s hope that these cozy business relationships that are reaping windfall profits at the expense of the health and welfare of the American people can be shattered by the new administration. It’s all about change, according to the Obama camp, so let’s see if any long-overdue changes will occur in the disastrous health care system here in our country.

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A very alarming new study has indicated that the risks involved with using many newer drugs may be even greater than feared. Big Pharma and conventional medicine had high hopes for next generation medicines known as biological drugs, which are supposedly composed of living materials rather than chemicals that are foreign to the body. Researchers are discovering that many of these drugs, which are often manufactured using genetic engineering and other artificial processes, have hidden hazards (such as suppressing the immune system, the one thing needed MOST when fighting disease) that are sometimes linked to life-threatening side effects including major infections and cancers. If these are the next generation of pharmaceuticals then I say, NO THANKS! Conventional medicine continues to head in the wrong direction.

The entire drug industry is based on the formation and sale of artificial substances that are designed to “treat” or cover up symptoms, rather than addressing the root causes of illness. True healing can only occur when approaches are used that help to repair and support the body’s natural healing mechanisms as contained in many herbs, organic foods and food-grade supplementation.

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Today’s post presents a scathing indictment of the American medical system and its cohorts Big Pharma and the FDA. The over-medication of American children amounts to child abuse in one of its most damaging forms — at the hands of trusted professionals (physicians) whose purpose is to allegedly help and heal, not to shamelessly push dangerous drugs on patients, young and old, who don’t need them.

With ADD and ADHD at epidemic proportions and the mainstream offer of a “quick fix” solution of prescription drugs, certainly we must wonder “why” this is so much more prevalent now than ever before. It is prudent to take into account the junk-food diet of most children, the injection of toxic chemicals through vaccinations, toxic water and air, the adulteration of our food with hormones and chemicals, and the lack of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables (many are genetically modified) in our children’s diets. The above combinations wreck havoc on the digestive tract (constipation is accepted as no big deal in conventional medicine) resulting in a very compromised immune system. Celiac disease is also rampant amount children and adults and often goes undiagnosed.

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Normally, if a company was called on the carpet for a questionable way of marketing their products, I would tend to give them the benefit of the doubt and gather all the facts before condemning them. However, because of some of the shaky things the pharmaceutical industry has pulled in the past, the behavior covered in the article below is very suspect.

At best, giving out free samples of medications without complete safety measures and information accompanying them is irresponsible. However, as the article points out, it also prepares both parents and children for other suggestions from doctors and drug companies, that will typically include the use of additional drugs, thus making the consumption of medication seem a casual decision.

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Last week on this blog, we discussed some of the unscrupulous ways certain pharmaceutical companies are profiting excessively off a loophole in Medicare that allows them to overcharge patients and insurers. (See post of July 25, 2008.) Well, according to the article below, apparently they are milking it for all they can by increasing the prices of some drugs by over 1000% or more, in certain cases. Unfortunately, according to AARP, many of these price jumps are tied to drugs that are most often prescribed to senior citizens.

I read a quote this week from a spokeswoman for Ovation Pharmaceuticals, a company that recently raised the price on its drug Cosmegen by an astounding 3400%. In defending this move, she stated: “These are not the big cancers that are going to yield huge profits.” Here we have a representative of Big Pharma openly stating that they make the bulk of their money off of cancer. We know that’s true, but rarely will a drug company admit to it. Maybe they need to invest some of their profits in a better public relations farm. At any rate, I’d like to see somebody run for office who would actually sic the Federal Trade Commission on the bad apples in this industry and put a stop to their outlandish behavior.

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