It appears that the system we rely upon to remedy our stuffed noses and clogged arteries is suffering from a disease of its own. When I am ill, I rarely consider the possibility that my doctor’s decision to administer me certain medications may not be based on science, but on dollar signs. Even more rarely do I consider the possibility that these pills, of which my doctor knows very little about, could be administered to me in a much higher dose than I actually require. I suppose its quite simple; a higher dose correlates to a higher fee. A higher fee equates to a higher profit. An overproduction of greed and an ethics deficiency? Looks like the system is suffering from a nasty case of capitalism.
So, the sicker we are, the richer pharmaceutical companies become. This seems backwards, but I suppose if the “blackbox” medications are curing us, it’s not so bad. But wait, since the UBC medical study proved that doctors are often misinformed, or otherwise outright denied information relating to the adverse effects of the drug, could these medications be making us sicker? The Globe and Mail article (linked in the class notes) illustrates a paradox surrounding heart-burn medication. A simple change in diet can reverse the effects of acid overproduction, yet patients are given high doses of meds with side effects such as “C. difficile pneumonia and [increased risk of] bone fractures” (Barton, Globe and Mail). The reality is, avoiding hot wings and cheese plates will not generate money for pharmaceutical companies. Administering new drugs to cope with broken bones and pneumonia, however, will.
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