Garland, TX – Whether or not you’ve cut the cable on commercial television you have no doubt noticed that the airwaves are dominated by the pharmaceutical industry. Someone has been paid to tell you they’re a doctor, a retired person, or other similar person just can’t wait to tell you about some miracle drug that you should ask your doctor about immediately. These ubiquitous messages start with a miraculous claim, then cut to touching scenes of dogs running through surf, an older person working in their flower garden, or perhaps someone dining out with friends. The images presented are to distract you from the voiceover, which spends the next minute or so listing the many things the drug could cause, all of which are worse than the condition it supposedly treats.
That’s not the only distraction taking place here.
First, you’re being asked to trust that the statements being made in the commercial have been evaluated and validated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Second, you’re being asked to believe that the drug you’re being told to ask your doctor to prescribe is safe to take. As it turns out, neither of those is necessarily true.
People living in the United States have developed quite an affection for pharmaceuticals, so much so that doctors no longer necessarily learn about nutrition in their doctoral training. People don’t want to hear about healthy habits, the reasoning goes, they just want a drug and an easy shortcut. This affection for drugs has created demand that far exceeds the FDA’s ability to review and regulate, according to investigative reports from ProPublica, among others. Further, as demand for drugs has increased, more and more US drug supplies come from the cheaper and more plentiful suppliers in foreign countries. Instead of increasing federal funding to help the FDA monitor and regulate, however, Congress has maintained or even reduced funding levels, making proper inspections impossible. According to reports, nearly a third of the 3,000 foreign facilities producing American drugs have never been inspected.
There are a number of contributing factors to this extreme lack of proper oversight of the US drug supply. The FDA grants exemptions for facilities producing high-demand drugs so as not to disrupt supplies; some of those facilities falsify their records, and because ingredients can come from sources in different countries it can be challenging to assure quality control at that level, as well. Of course, in a country whose government allows unlimited and undisclosed lobbying, there is also plenty of corporate money behind political pressure to keep the drugs flowing freely without troublesome regulations or inspections.
What does that mean for the citizens of Garland? For starters, it’s a good idea to let your doctor tell you what kind of medicines you might need and not the other way around. It’s also helpful to ask if there are options beyond a pharmaceutical prescription to treat your condition, even if they mean challenging your daily routines. Finally, assure that your doctor knows for sure that generic versions of the drugs they prescribe are safe, as the above issues are more common in generic versions. Finally, ask the same question of your local pharmacist, who often chooses an alternate form of the drug your doctor prescribes.
Take the time to ask questions. Your health and peace of mind are worth it!
Want to read more on this important topic? Here’s a collection of articles exploring all of these issues and more!
