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Karma Catching Up With Big Pharma?

By Ann | November 2, 2007

Should US citizens be concerned about pharmaceutical drugs and personal safety? Aside form the litany of side-effects that accompany pharmaceutical drugs, the US’s FDA might be putting patients in harm’s way. Here are the facts, you decide:

An article in the NY Times today announced that 80% of the components comprising the US’s pharmaceutical drugs are made in foreign countries. Foreign drug suppliers do not have to meet the minimum regulatory standards set here in the US, which may result in counterfeit products. When you take a moment to consider all the recent news from China concerning toothpaste ingredients such as diethylene glycol (a poison found in antifreeze) and the lead-based paint used on toys, we may want to reexamine our healthcare options.

The FDA announced that it is unable to keep regulatory records for the safety of these foreign manufacturers, citing poor data management systems. The result is that the FDA relies on foreign inspectors and volunteers, oftentimes where the manufacturer gets a “heads up” before an inspection or translators are used. Are we receiving an honest picture of what is going on?

Following that same line of thought, recently the FDA recommended NOT to import/buy pharmaceutical drugs from international sources, such as Canada and Mexico, citing caution about unknown ingredients and ineffective doses of active ingredients:

“For public health reasons, FDA remains concerned about the importation of prescription drugs into the U.S. In our experience, many drugs obtained from foreign sources that either purport to be or appear to be the same as U.S.-approved prescription drugs are, in fact, of unknown quality. FDA cannot assure the American public that drugs imported from foreign countries are the same as products approved by FDA.” (Source)

Does the new information highlighted today in the New York Times conflict with these precautionary measures? Perhaps so. Clarification from the FDA and US policies for the origins of its pharmaceutical drugs should be reexamined and implemented in a way that protects consumer safety.

Why are the costs for pharmaceutical drug higher in the US than any where else on the globe? 60 Minutes attempted to get to the bottom of this powerful lobbying action with their expose` entitled: “Under the Influence“. You’d be surprised how this got through Congress.

And if that’s not enough questionable karma:

When it comes to pharmaceutical advertisement, the specifics are presented with a slight of hand technique, leading scientists say at the Poynter Institute. An example of a recent NPR interview looks at the drug, Lunesta, a sleep-aid, where the consumer is given the particulars in a manipulative manner. To name a few techniques: benefits are read at a sixth-grade reading level, side effects read at a ninth-grade level; visual imagery was used to detract from a cautionary list of complications; and the only difference between the treatment group (those that received Lunestra) and the control group (those that did not), according to the fine print, was a mere 40 minutes of sleep! Is this a reasonable antidote for sleep considering the list of side effects?

Not convinced of Big Pharma’s karmic debt? Well, unfortunately, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet: http://www.newstarget.com/Big_Pharma.html

Stay informed, protect your most valuable asset: your health because you’re worth it.