70 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription medication. Go ahead, let that digest for a few moments. If that doesn’t shock you, you might suffer from unshockability and I am sure there is a pill that can help. 50 percent of all Americans take at least 2 prescription meds. Still not shocked?

Check out this video from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver whereas he follows the money between Big Pharma and Doctors.

 

Published on Feb 8, 2015

Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars marketing drugs to doctors.
We have a few issues with that.


What’s impressive here is the sheer amount of money spent on advertising and marketing of prescription medications, and the fact that many pharmaceutical reps serve as advisors to Doctors. How can that at any point not compromise the general health of our society? Of course a pharmaceutical rep is going to push pills over changes in diet or exercise. That’s what they are paid to do!

How is it OK to market medications to Doctors? Aren’t Doctors supposed to just know what the heck the issue is and what there is to solve it? I am pretty sure a Doctor utilizing an attractive sales representative for medical information is the most incredibly asinine thing one could ever come up with.

But this is the society we live in. If your kid has energy, drug him. If you’re overweight, have surgery and pop pills. It really is incredible to say the least.