In the United States, it's no secret that the public health care situation is a mess. Many people in need of medication cannot get health insurance. Even if their illness impairs their ability to work, many people are paying full price for medicine and treatment with an option to suffer or possibly die. This is at least in part due to constant lobbying in Washington. Politicians accept more campaign money from drug companies than any other industry in the nation. In turn, laws are passed that keep the drug companies digging into the pockets of the disabled.

This is manipulation of a degree that should not be known in a democracy. Indeed, this ought to be regulated. But drug companies don't have to go through Washington to take advantage of us.

Drug companies spend on average around 35% of sales on promotion. Companies don't spend such massive amounts on promotion if it were not effectively influencing their customers. Obviously, people are in business to make a profit, and drug companies are no exception. So where is the line drawn between information and misinformation? How likely are company reps to truthfully tell physicians about the possible side effects of their product when they get a commission on every sale? Just because your health and even your life might depend on their product does not mean that they treat it any different than another product sold, another dollar earned, another competitor beaten. Your well-being is in the hands of our capitalist society I hope you have insurance.

You've seen the commercials on TV, the ones speaking directly to you. You see somebody smiling, walking in the radiant sunlight, life is peachy. All because they took this certain medication for a condition you've never heard of before but, judging by the list of symptoms, you might have it. You know why you never heard of this condition before? Because they made it up, to sell you a drug that will cause more problems so that you will be reliable on other drugs in the future. They want to keep you just sick enough to keep paying them to keep you sick. And we should be getting sick of that.

Obviously, some people are truly sick and need medication for either a physical or mental ailment. But the same corporate greed intercepts their treatment. That's the sad thing about it all - whether you're suffering from a real illness or tricked into thinking you have some psuedo-condition commonly known as 2 or 3 letters, drug companies treat you with the same amount of disregard. You're just a revenue generator to them. Keep that in mind next time you're considering getting a prescription for anything. Be honest with yourself - if you can find any other way to possibly treat whatever is bothering you, try that first before handing money over to these inhuman companies. You'd be surprised how simple things such as a change in diet and a little excercise can improve your health.

Or, just move to Canada with me.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Vanburen.
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