Community | February 15, 2011 | 25 comments

US pharm industry creates diseases to cure them

source: http://rt.com/news/us-pharm-industry-disorders-drug/

bundlebear
US pharmaceutical companies get creative when it comes to disorders and drugs to treat almost anything, from canine depression to female sexual dysfunction.
The American drug trade is a multi-billion-dollar business, and is only getting bigger. Meanwhile the industry has been accused of illegally pushing medicine onto the market, often endangering the lives of patients.

In the US, the most common medication prescribed for dogs is to treat aggression and anxiety disorders. Pharmacists admit that Prozac works terrifically on dogs.

Yes, there is such a thing as doggy Prozac, a beef-flavored version of the well-known “human” anti-depressant, government-approved and being proscribed by veterinarians for canines in crisis.

“There is a significant population of dogs which is really suffering from separation anxiety,” reveals veterinary behaviorist E'Lise Christensen, from NYC Vet Specialists.

The drug company, one of the largest, is banking on that. They believe up to 17 per cent of US dogs are suffering from this mental affliction. It is an idea some would scoff at, and as Christensen says “I definitely understand being skeptical.”

“Companies are desperate to keep up their profit margin, and do things to keep the margin up, even though the number of new drugs that are important in the pipeline has diminished,” argues Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research.

It turns out those companies do not need doggy drugs in order for critics to make that case. Medical researchers have crunched the numbers and found the pharmaceutical industry now tops the defense industry as the number one defrauder of the US government.

“That was a finding that I didn't expect. No one had really ever looked at it before and it shows you how out-of-control really the pharmaceutical industry really is,” Dr. Sidney Wolfe said.

In some cases it is criminally out of control, perhaps helping this industry go from selling US$40 billion to $234 billion a year in prescription drugs. Over the last two decades, companies have been cheating and endangering patients. Their biggest violations are overcharging the government by billions and illegally marketing their drugs to treat conditions for which they have not proven safe or effective.

One of the largest criminal penalties ever levied against an American corporation involved the drugs giant Pfizer. The illegal practices included essentially hiring positions despite the buzz about the drug, telling their colleagues to prescribe it for a condition it was not approved for.

And when it comes to the drug companies, disease-pushers may not be an unfair way of describing them, as well as drug pushers – that is what one filmmaker found when tracing a newly-minted disorder.

“Female sexual dysfunction itself is something the pharm industry really pushed for and had a hand in creating,” believes Liz Canner, filmmaker of Orgasm Inc.

That is the conclusion Canner came to after following the process of a drug company developing female Viagra. She says only a small number of women need it, but the company has other plans.

“Their marketing and the amount of money they’re pouring into it really says they’re trying to sell this to the whole population,” insists Liz Canner.

And with commercials for prescription drugs airing on TV in the US, companies are in a position to do just that.

With billions being made and not much to lose, critics say even in the case of crime, for this industry nothing is likely to change.

“Unless people go to jail unless the fines are much larger than they have been the companies will find that it's cheaper to cheat” Dr. Sidney Wolfe said.

Companies that stop short of nothing to find some-syndrome, someone or something new to medicate.

http://rt.com/news/us-pharm-industry-disorders-drug/
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25 comments // US pharm industry creates diseases to cure them // Video

  • artemis6
  • ze
  • Psymoniac
  • skybluskyblue
    • +1
      skybluskyblue  

    • Yes, separation anxiety can be prevented with patient dog training; but most people these days are too lazy or get a dog at the wrong time in their life. Then what do they do? Put the dog to sleep or give it drugs? Cats that use your bed as a litter box out of anxiety can drive one crazy enough for you the human to want the drugs.

      When people get pets they should GET (understand) the pet's mindset. For example, dogs are pack animals and only survive in the wild by always seeking out and sticking with the pack.So 90% of dogs are not suitable to be left at home for hours on end --they can tear up the house or start self-mutilating ---What do you suggest owners do about it once it has already started? Sure, if they can take days off of work or buy a video camera and catch the dog in the act, behavioral therapy can work, but if people cannot should they turn their dog into a rescue organization or try drugs instead?

      Yes, these are new NAMES for conditions people complain about, but the symptoms are not made up --just like all diseases at one point in history did not have names --autism is one and cancer used to be called the "wasting disease" until it was understood better --i think new sets of symptoms will be named in the future too--I think it is a legitimate practice by scientists.

      [Is this video made by Scientologists? I think this is a common theme; they have to discredit a profession they do not like. Not that anything they say is necessarily wrong, but they have an interest here to see drug makers/prescribers look bad.]

      Would the people who do not like "big pharma" drugs be willing to use herbal products for a set of symptoms? If so, I think there is no difference; they then should also be willing to try the herbs in their purified, verified and standardized form ( pharmaceutical grade drugs). IMO

    • 1 year ago
  • cclark_productions
    • +6
      cclark_productions  

    • anything for money...

      my dog had really bad seperation anxiety and i didnt put him on drugs!
      he ate thru his cage and tore up the front door and what did i do? bought him an unbreakable cage, put on some Enya and bought him some toys. the problem solved itself in less than a week. suck it pharmaceutical companies.

    • 1 year ago
  • alienator
  • Avior
  • TheAmericanPatriot
  • alienator
  • TheAmericanPatriot
  • mistro
  • treewolf39
  • Mr_Brainwash
  • Blueshound9
  • bluestranger
    • 0
      bluestranger  
    • Blueshound9:

      I'll go you one better. "Governor Good Hair" aka Rick Perry wanted mandatory vaccination of all girls twelve years old and up with an HPV vaccine. I wonder if he has stock in the company or just got an old fashioned kick-back.

    • 1 year ago
  • alienator
  • Danny_Mcstotts
    • +4
      Danny_Mcstotts  

    • The drug companies are down right despicable! Not only do Americans get charged sometimes 10-15 times more than patients in other countries, but they flat out make up illness to sell high priced placebo's. My dads cholesterol was SLIGHTLY higher than normal and the doctor prescribed him zetia because lipitor can cause joint pain. After 5 years of using zetia he started getting joint pain (which you are not suppose to get with zetia). So he quit taking it and the pain went away in a few days. He did some research and found that eating almonds everyday helps with cholesterol problems and its been over a year now with the almonds and no high cholesterol! Of course his doctor was trying her hardest to keep him on zetia (for slightly high cholesterol) Im sure for the pharma kick backs.

    • 1 year ago
  • artemis6
  • judithann
    • +5
      judithann  

    • I have not trusted the pharmaceutical co.for a very long time. I believe that they are getting away with this because of lobbyist in Washington, they are very powerful, and have way to many politicians in their pockets. They are deeply embeded in Washington. As for Dr.s, many medical students are quiting school in disgust over how pharm companies are using these schools. Many pharm. co.'s are paying for Dr'sw college tuition if they will sign a contract to write a certain amount of "scripts" a month/year, to pay pharm co. back. This info
      comes from disallusioned medical students that quit school. I also think it's common knowledge.

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • treewolf39
  • bailey78
  • Novek
    • +5
      Novek  

    • how have we not made a law like... idk 60 years ago... to make it illegal for drug companies to pay a cent to doctors.

    • 1 year ago
  • MizPiz
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