The Unhealthy Truth of the Pharmaceutical Industry

In 2002, the top 10 drug U.S. companies had a median profit margin of 17%, compared with only 3% for all the other industries on the Fortune 500.  Pfizer, the world’s number-one drug company, had a profit margin of 26% of sales. Expenditures for marketing and administration were 31% of sales, compared with only 14% for R&D.  It’s obvious that profit and growth, not health and improvement, are the top priorities of such companies.

Drug companies market diseases to sell drugs, rather than work to cure. They attempt to convince people in 1st world countries that they are suffering from long-term conditions.. Thus, millions of fairly healthy people are taught that they suffer from ailments such as “generalized anxiety disorder,” “erectile dysfunction,” “premenstrual dysphoric disorder” and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). While some people do have health issues, the growth of such markets would imply that within 40 years the human genome has become completely incapable of producing a race of physically capable human beings.

Guess which companies front the bills for most medical education, conferences and professional associations?  Yes, the Pharmaceutical industry!  While one might say that it is for education, you will find most of their funds come straight from their marketing budgets.  While laws technically prohibit bribery, many in the medical professional are still found to be courted and whisked away to exotic locales by “business acquaintances” who happen to be Pharma.

Here’s evidence if you don’t believe this yet, the Pharmaceutical industry has the most lobbyists in Washington.  They outnumber all the members of Congress!  If such an industry is out to better mankind, why the need for so many?  Here’s a few rulings that show there’s something more than fishy going on:

• Prescription drugs are one of the few illegal imports of otherwise legal substances.
• Companies are allowed to extend the exclusivity of their drugs by creating repeated lawsuits against generic companies.
• Several laws prevent large organizations, such as Medicare, to use their bargaining power to lower prices on drugs.

The simple fact of the matter is that mankind doesn’t need more synthetic drugs but we are allowing a system that will not only grow but force itself into every American home.  We need to take a stand and find more natural, proven paths to improving our health.  A balanced diet, supplementation, and exercise are all that 95% of our population needs.