Nov 27
Have I ever mentioned my hatred of Big PhARMA?
Sure, I’ve been known to partake of a few pharmaceutical cocktails (shaken, not stirred) while experiencing the benefits of better living through chemistry but I can’t read an article on the drug industry without my blood boiling. That’s typically when I pop a Xanax.
Last week, the industry’s top executives met to discuss their new strategy for dealing with a decidedly less friendly Democratic Congress.
Hoping to prevent Congress from letting the government negotiate lower drug prices for millions of older Americans on Medicare, the pharmaceutical companies have been recruiting Democratic lobbyists, lining up allies in the Bush administration and Congress, and renewing ties with organizations of patients who depend on brand-name drugs.
These are the real evildoers. And don’t believe the hype about how they spend all this money on researching new drugs. The pharmaceutical industry spends twice as much money on PR and marketing (especially direct to consumers) than on research and development. These people spend over $100 million a year just on lobbying DC.
As a forward-thinking Appropriations staffer, I wrote a detailed report on how to save the state’s money regarding government-sponsored health programs such as Medicaid and CHIP through preferred drug lists, use of generics and giving people placebo pills which work just as well. NO NOBODY READ IT. YES THEY THINK I’M A SOCIALIST. (And yes, when drugs are in the hands of many, it’s a lot better than when they’re controlled by a few corporate giants. [smirk])
Democrats are pushing for stricter regulation of drug safety and for legislation to encourage development of low-cost generic versions of expensive biotechnology drugs. They are determined to allow imports of drugs from Canada, where brand-name products are often cheaper.They want to investigate drug pricing and profits, drug advertising aimed at consumers and the marketing of drugs to doctors for purposes not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Obviously, this doesn’t make the druggies happy. Safer, cheaper drugs? Fewer Lunesta commercials claiming how sleep aids are not addictive? (Please. It took me a month and bottomless cups of coffee to go through withdrawal and I never even saw that damn butterfly. Not once.)
Adults are one thing. At least grown-ups have a choice. But when an estimated 1.6 million children and teenagers are on at least two psychiatric drugs, and over 500,000 are prescribed at least three drugs, isn’t it time to start asking why?
The trackback URL is here.
Are there generics that will allow our nation’s 55 year old men to walk around with 3-hour boners?
How many samples and banner ads would it take to change your mind?
Signed,
Grassroots Common Folk for Pharma
Have you also been following on the move Pharma is making to speed up the FDA approval process of their adverts?
As heard on Marketplace:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/11/21/PM200611211.html
They make me so mad! Y’all know that the FDA is about as corrupt as Big Pharma.
Let’s not forget how the FDA is trying to make drug compounding illegal.
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/09/01/ruling_hurts_fda_push_on_compounds/
http://www.inthepinktexas.com
Who’s ready for an ITPT road trip to Canada?
(We can pool our pharmaceuticals for the ride.)
I vote for Mexico…. It’s more recreational.
I for one, love Lunesta and the little butterflies that sleep on my blankets every night. Like you can tell if there is a freight train in your living room when you take those things. I do love them.
PL–wait until you have kids. Then you will be popping ritalin or focalin down their little throats like it was candy. That is, unless your just move up to mega-boxes of pinot so you can’t hear your kids running around screaming at the top of teir lungs.
http://www.mcblogger.com/archives/2006/11/phunny_pharma.html
Phunny Pharm(a)…
PinkLady has a great post up about the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to persuade the new Democratic majority in Congress not to beat it to a bloody pulp. I kid. All the Democrats want to do is get the industry to……
http://boboland-cronicas.us
No. 1, I’ll settle for two hours.
By the design of the Part D Drug benefit program, the government is not permitted to negotiate for more favorable rates on drugs purchased for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. This was poor stewardship of our tax dollars by the GOP Congress and a direct result of the powerful Big Pharma lobby. By contrast, in a “take it or leave it” manner, compare how Medicare specifically sets the reimubrsement it pays hospitals and physcians that treat Medicare patients. Hmmm . . .
I used to lifeguard at a pool where the redneck woman who ran the concession stand let her son drink JOLT cola, but also had him on Ritalin. Now she could have just had her son drink tap water, and the problem would be solved. But where would the American economy be then?
As the philosopher Slavoj Zizek says, America is run on the “chocolate laxative.” Are you constipated? Well then just eat more of this chocolate!
Re: 11. ScratchCracker
So true, don’t you just love how most Americans want to solve their health problems with a pill paid for by someone else? Just eat less and exercise more and watch the health care crisis disappear.
I would love to have health care premiums paid based on how much the recipient weighed. The more you weigh the more you pay.
Re: 12. KO
As long as you don’t suggest my liver cost me more down the line, I’m cool with this proposal. (I kid, I kid.)
Re: 12. KO
Age and weight affect Term life insurance premiums.
I medicate with coffee and beer.
Hold on to your Tighty Whities … one of the drugs I shoot up monthly is $12,000 a treatment so my rheumatoid arthritis won’t let the old fingers won’t seize up on the keyboard. That Big Pharma company has a cow if you miss a month … And lunesta’s for babies. Ambien is the one — no memory of what you did at bedtime means no guilt!
Re: 13. lush
I was gonna say … the next thing you know, he’ll suggest we stop drinking.
Re: 16. Don’t Mess w/ Pink
I’m drinking right there with you, sister, but when my liver goes, I’ll also accept the responsibility for doing it to myself (unless I can get a Baptist liver transplant).
Re: 17. KO
Where there’s 4 Baptist livers, there’s a 5th.