Ever notice how pharmaceutical drug commercials always suggest that you “Ask Your Doctor”?
Next time, ask your doctor if he or she has been bribed by any pharmaceutical companies lately…
Per this article from The Guardian:
The pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline has been fined $3bn (£1.9bn) after admitting [to] bribing doctors and encouraging the prescription of unsuitable antidepressants to children. Glaxo is also expected to admit failing to report safety problems with the diabetes drug Avandia in a district court in Boston on Thursday.
The company encouraged sales reps in the US to mis-sell three drugs to doctors and lavished hospitality and kickbacks on those who agreed to write extra prescriptions, including trips to resorts in Bermuda, Jamaica and California.
The company admitted corporate misconduct over the antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin and asthma drug Advair.
Psychiatrists and their partners were flown to five-star hotels, on all-expenses-paid trips where speakers, paid up to $2,500 to attend, gave presentations on the drugs. They could enjoy diving, golf, fishing and other extra activities arranged by the company.
GSK also paid for articles on its drugs to appear in medical journals and “independent” doctors were hired by the company to promote the treatments, according to court documents.
Ask Your Doctor About Side Effects?
What about all of those nasty side effects listed in the drug commercials? Nausea, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, even death? How could anything with these kinds of side effects ever improve your health?
Questions You Really Should Ask Your Doctor:
- Have you received any bribes recently from any of the major drug companies?
- Have you been invited to any lavish resorts paid for by major drug companies?
- Do drug side effects, including death, worry you at all?
- How much of your income comes from prescribing drugs?
- If my life sucks, will this drug help me, or should I change something else about my life?
About The Author
Michael Manville is the author of Fitter And Richer In 30 Days a new book now available on Amazon.com.
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