I have a lot of problems with the pharmaceutical industry (especially after reading about the history of estrogen). They include but are not limited to the following.
- Creating drugs for "problems" that are really about vanity and lifestyle and not about life-threatening diseases. There are tons of drugs that fall into this category, but I'm especially looking at you, eyelash drug - every time I see your commercial I have to change the channel. Seriously, how many women in America actually suffer from inadequate eyelash growth known as hypotrichiosis? (I searched online and couldn't find an answer.) And here's an interesting sidenote: did you know that this drug was discovered by accident? It was basically created to treat eyeball pressure, but when they discovered the side effects of long, lush lashes, they jumped on that train. I can't decide if this is a redeeming factor or not.
- Doing so much advertising that people who don't actually have a problem will be convinced that they do.
- ED commercials. Don't get my husband the scientist started on this one. Or do, as it's quite an entertaining rant.
- Having doctors on the payroll. I'm pretty sure everyone realizes that doctors being paid by pharmaceutical companies is a huge conflict of interest.
- Ghostwriting scientific papers. This is when pharmaceutical companies write journal articles promoting their agendas and then just pay other scientists or doctors to attach their names to them. As a researcher, I am really disgusted by this.
- Their influence on the FDA. It's not that every person in the FDA is in bed with Big Pharma, but there is some sleeping around. Also, I realize that it's really difficult if not impossible for a government agency to conduct all the necessary tests and why the pharmaceutical companies do a lot of their their own clinical trials, but it's hard for that to be unbiased. I don't have a ready answer for this.
- When they know about problematic side effects/risks of drugs but neglect to disclose this info. I'm afraid I'm starting to sound like some conspiracy theorist, but this does happen.
With all of these horrifying problems, there's only one thing that keeps me from condemning the entire industry. And that is the fact that there are some really good people who work for pharmaceutical companies. I guess that's what happens when you live in an area where so many people are employed by an industry - you see the faces of it. And while some of the faces are a bit touched by greed, many of them are good people who truly want to make a difference by providing drugs that help people. Those good people are what gives me a little bit of hope and they alone are what prevent me from completely demonizing the entire pharmaceutical industry.
What do you think? Do you have specific problems with any Big Pharma actions? Do you think it's all inevitable, a necessary evil? Anyone who's willing to defend them and can provide other reasons not to completely denounce them?