The Insiders (AARP article exposing drug company sins)

[xray s]

http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/prescription/Articles/a2004-10-27-insiders.html

By Patricia Barry
November 2004

The powerful pharmaceutical industry has recently been hammered by new books denouncing its strategies in keeping U.S. prescription drug prices high and challenging its arguments against proposals to lower them. But now those criticisms are being reinforced by unlikely sources—insiders who know how drug companies work and are willing to speak out publicly against some of their practices. Three such insiders—a top marketing executive in the world's largest drug company, a salesman who promotes products to doctors and an ex-lobbyist who left the business in disgust—recently talked to the AARP Bulletin about their experiences.

Speaking more in sorrow than in anger, all three paint a picture of a once-admired industry that has lost its ethical way, more concerned to protect its bottom line than patients' health.

'It is obvious to me that probably tens of thousands of Americans are dying today because they can't afford drugs. And once you recognize that is the case, if you don't speak up, you're really part of the problem.'...

(check out the rest of the article to find out just what these insiders think about drug importation, marketing and lobbying. A good read.)

[still_one]

1. and to think that aarp pushed for the medicare prescription plan

[pleiku52cab]

2. but but but but the Medicare Act fixed all the .......but but but

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I'm glad to hear this.

You haven't met a pompous ass until you've met a pharmecutical salesman. They must make a great deal of money, for doing very little.

[Dear Maggie]

6. So

Just another drug pusher?

For these who have had too much of some kind of chemical already, adding more ... even prescription drugs can be counter-productive, even harmful.

Many in our population may have been harmed from a chemical I've been learning about ... even children from second hand esposure, by the way. I suspect such groups as the CFS, CFIDS, and the 'gulf war syndrome' group. That's my theory: the fatigue is autoimmune hemolytic anemia; damage by the immune system to one's own red blood cells. It is a provable theory

Why I studied 2-butoxyethanol http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1079661&mesg_id=1086257

Lobby the Dept of Defense through Congress to see what is the known exposure of first gulf war troops to this www.valdezlink.com/same.htm

[msgadget]

4. And, they're opposing the Social Security plans

as well. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/12/politics/12benefit.html?oref=login

I swear they were recently in the news for some other right wing bad proposal they were backing but I can't think of it...

[SeattleDem]

5. "60 percent favor federal price controls as a solution,"

Americans are idiots. 60% favor price controls, yet they voted for the man who is the last person in American that would allow it.

Price controls may have had a chance with Kerry, but there is no chance in hell of price controls with Bush.

Idiots.