book suggestion

[ellenrr]

Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime: How big pharma has corrupted healthcare
By:
Peter Gøtzsche

review:
Prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.
In his latest ground-breaking book, Peter Gøtzsche exposes the pharmaceutical industries and their charade of fraudulent behavior, both in research and marketing where the morally repugnant disregard for human lives is the norm 1. He convincingly draws close comparisons with the tobacco conglomerates, revealing the extraordinary truth behind efforts to confuse and distract the public and their politicians.
The book addresses, in evidence-based detail, an extraordinary system failure caused by widespread crime, corruption, bribery and impotent drug regulation in need of radical reforms.

[pinto]

1. Number of deaths for leading causes of death (CDC stats)

Number of deaths for leading causes of death

•Heart disease: 597,689
•Cancer: 574,743
•Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080
•Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
•Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
•Alzheimer's disease: 83,494
•Diabetes: 69,071
•Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476
•Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097
•Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm

[MineralMan]

2. I don't think so. On what is this based?

I've not seen any verifiable statistics that show what is in the first sentence of that review. This is very sketchy material.

[postulater]

3. Based on 49 million death certificates

"We examined all US death certificates from January 1, 1983, to December 31, 2004 (N = 49 586 156), particularly those with fatal medication errors (FMEs) (n = 224 355). We examined trends in 4 types of FMEs that vary according to the relative importance of alcohol/street drugs and the relative likelihood of professional oversight in the consumption of medications."

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=414387

[WheioGarden]

4. Gøtzsche is right

Big pharma has definitely "corrupted healthcare." The incestuous relationship between the drug industry and the FDA (http://www.supplements-and-health.com/supplement-regulation.html ) is good proof of it.