By Contributing Writer:Mark Waggener
What does an 800 lb. Gorilla do? Anything it wants. Not unlike the Gorilla, pharmaceutical companies appear to have free rein over consumers by bombarding us with shifty marketing campaigns, draining our pocket-books, and pilfering insurance companies with ridiculously overpriced prescription drugs. You can’t turn on the television today without being offered a drug for insomnia, depression, acid reflux, high cholesterol, or a plethora of other so-named diseases. Walk through a doctor’s office or hospital and you might notice that virtually every pen and notepad bears the label of a prescription drug. The lingering presence of pharmaceutical reps is also apparent as drug samples are dished out like candy in order to influence physician’s choices to use their product.
Pill Poppers
Approximately 46% of Americans take a prescription drug every day and we are fast becoming a society intoxicated with synthetic molecules; which our bodies are not always capable of detoxifying or eliminating. Prescription drug companies are shelling out millions of dollars in advertising, while an inappropriate consumer demand is being created for products that may be more deadly and less effective than medications already available. According to the Journal of The American Medical Association, deadly side effects from prescription drugs are the fourth leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Every year in The United States alone, it is reported that at least 100,000 people die from the side effects of prescription drugs, and this is considered a very conservative number. That doesn’t include the estimated 40,000 deaths from over the counter pain medications, or the injuries of 2 million other people from adverse side effects.
It is true that certain drugs are appropriate in order to save and extend lives, but many are unnecessary, highly expensive and harmful. Improving human health is not a priority for the profit driven drug industry. Most prescription drugs merely mask symptoms, which is an obvious strategy in the development of pharmaceuticals. While the symptoms are being targeted, the cure and elimination of diseases are being avoided. The question must be asked as to whether or not there is a prescription drug out there today, that either cures, or reverses the effects of a chronic disease. Since the human body is the marketplace for the pharmaceutical industry, expanding and maintaining diseases can only enhance the growth of such industries.
Big Business
The multi trillion dollar drug Industry profits outstrip every other industry by a long-shot. Collectively, 10 drug companies in the fortune 500 recently topped all 3 of the Fortune magazine’s measures of company profitability, according to the magazines annual analysis of America’s mostrecognizedcompanies. They claim that huge profits are necessary to further research and development. Aggressive research and development is vital, but that justification losses merit when many of these companies spend twice as much on marketing and advertising as they do for research. Next time you hand over$100.00 dollars for a prescription drugyou can expect 35% of it to be used for marketing, advertising, and administration. 26% for manufacturing, executive pay, worker costs etc. 24% is pure profit, and 15% for research and development.
Whilefamilies continually struggle to pay for medicine, and deal with a bleak economic future, drug companies continue to prosper. In 2004 alone, the combined revenues for 10 of the top pharmaceutical companies exceeded 250 billion dollars.
The table below is a partial list of the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ price mark up for popular medicines sold in the U.S. after the costs of paying for the active ingredient.
Brand Name
Medication | Consumer Price
(for 100 tabs/caps). | Cost of Generic Active Ingredient (for 100 tabs/caps) | Percent Markup |
Celebrex 100 mg | $130.27 | $.0.60 | 21,712% |
Claritin 10 mg | $215.17 | $0.71 | 30,306% |
Keflex 250 mg | $157.39 | $1.88 | 8,372% |
Lipitor 20 mg. | $272.37 | $5.80 | 4,696% |
Norvasc 10 mg | $188.29 | $0.14 | 134,493% |
Paxil 20 mg | $220.27 | $7.60 | 2,898% |
Prevacid 30 mg | $344.77 | $1.01 | 34, 136% |
Prilosec 20 mg | $360.97 | $0.52 | 69,417% |
Prozac 20 mg | $247.47 | $0.11 | 224,973% |
Tenormin 50 mg | 104.47 | $0.13 | 80,362% |
Vasotec 10 mg | $102.37 | $0.20 | 51,185% |
Xanax 1 mg | $136.79 | $0.024 | 569,958% |
Zestril 20 mg | $89.89 | $3.20 | 2,809% |
Zithromax 600 mg | $1,482.19 | $18.78 | 7,892% |
Zocor 40 mg | $350.27 | $8.63 | 4,059% |
Zoloft 50 mg | $206.87 | $1.75 | 11,821% |
Source: Faloon, William, the FDA vs. the American Consumer, Life Extension Magazine; Oct 2002.
Legislation?
It’s difficult to create new laws and price control regulations, when these profit mongering corporations have such a huge presence in Washington where they employ over 625 lobbyists. According to Katharine Greider, ( The Big Fix ) “drug companies spent more money in the 1999-2000 election cycle to influence politicians than did insurance companies, telephone companies, electric companies, commercial banks, oil and gas producers, automakers, tobacco companies, food processors and manufacturers-more, in short, than any other industry,” Greider writes. “Most of that, about $177 million went to hire lobbyists from 134 firms, including 21 former members of Congress. The industry also gave $20 million in campaign contributions and spent $60 million on issue ads.” Other Nations use price controls to keep the costs of prescription drugs affordable. It’s no wonder people are purchasing drugs from Canada where you can save up to 50% on prescriptions.
Price Gouging
Pharmaceutical revenues continue to increase exponentially with a concerted effort to simply make more and more money. The forceful creation of an artificial international monopoly is gouging Americans by maintaining higher U.S. prices and securing drug patents for up to 20 years. Although some of these corporations have been warned for misleading the public with advertisement, brochures and other materials; it’s apparent that they continue to pay off Washington politicians and F.D.A. bureaucrats to stand by and do nothing about it.
Sources: Reuters News, Journal of the American Medical Association, Fortune 500, Gary Lawson, Ph.D., DPA.
By Contributing Writer:Mark Waggener
What does an 800 lb. Gorilla do? Anything it wants. Not unlike the Gorilla, pharmaceutical companies appear to have free rein over consumers by bombarding us with shifty marketing campaigns, draining our pocket-books, and pilfering insurance companies with ridiculously overpriced prescription drugs. You can’t turn on the television today without being offered a drug for insomnia, depression, acid reflux, high cholesterol, or a plethora of other so-named diseases. Walk through a doctor’s office or hospital and you might notice that virtually every pen and notepad bears the label of a prescription drug. The lingering presence of pharmaceutical reps is also apparent as drug samples are dished out like candy in order to influence physician’s choices to use their product.
Pill Poppers
Approximately 46% of Americans take a prescription drug every day and we are fast becoming a society intoxicated with synthetic molecules; which our bodies are not always capable of detoxifying or eliminating. Prescription drug companies are shelling out millions of dollars in advertising, while an inappropriate consumer demand is being created for products that may be more deadly and less effective than medications already available. According to the Journal of The American Medical Association, deadly side effects from prescription drugs are the fourth leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Every year in The United States alone, it is reported that at least 100,000 people die from the side effects of prescription drugs, and this is considered a very conservative number. That doesn’t include the estimated 40,000 deaths from over the counter pain medications, or the injuries of 2 million other people from adverse side effects.
It is true that certain drugs are appropriate in order to save and extend lives, but many are unnecessary, highly expensive and harmful. Improving human health is not a priority for the profit driven drug industry. Most prescription drugs merely mask symptoms, which is an obvious strategy in the development of pharmaceuticals. While the symptoms are being targeted, the cure and elimination of diseases are being avoided. The question must be asked as to whether or not there is a prescription drug out there today, that either cures, or reverses the effects of a chronic disease. Since the human body is the marketplace for the pharmaceutical industry, expanding and maintaining diseases can only enhance the growth of such industries.
Big Business
The multi trillion dollar drug Industry profits outstrip every other industry by a long-shot. Collectively, 10 drug companies in the fortune 500 recently topped all 3 of the Fortune magazine’s measures of company profitability, according to the magazines annual analysis of America’s mostrecognizedcompanies. They claim that huge profits are necessary to further research and development. Aggressive research and development is vital, but that justification losses merit when many of these companies spend twice as much on marketing and advertising as they do for research. Next time you hand over$100.00 dollars for a prescription drugyou can expect 35% of it to be used for marketing, advertising, and administration. 26% for manufacturing, executive pay, worker costs etc. 24% is pure profit, and 15% for research and development.
Whilefamilies continually struggle to pay for medicine, and deal with a bleak economic future, drug companies continue to prosper. In 2004 alone, the combined revenues for 10 of the top pharmaceutical companies exceeded 250 billion dollars.
The table below is a partial list of the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ price mark up for popular medicines sold in the U.S. after the costs of paying for the active ingredient.
Brand Name
Medication
Consumer Price
(for 100 tabs/caps).
Cost of Generic Active Ingredient (for 100 tabs/caps)
Percent Markup
Celebrex 100 mg
$130.27
$.0.60
21,712%
Claritin 10 mg
$215.17
$0.71
30,306%
Keflex 250 mg
$157.39
$1.88
8,372%
Lipitor 20 mg.
$272.37
$5.80
4,696%
Norvasc 10 mg
$188.29
$0.14
134,493%
Paxil 20 mg
$220.27
$7.60
2,898%
Prevacid 30 mg
$344.77
$1.01
34, 136%
Prilosec 20 mg
$360.97
$0.52
69,417%
Prozac 20 mg
$247.47
$0.11
224,973%
Tenormin 50 mg
104.47
$0.13
80,362%
Vasotec 10 mg
$102.37
$0.20
51,185%
Xanax 1 mg
$136.79
$0.024
569,958%
Zestril 20 mg
$89.89
$3.20
2,809%
Zithromax 600 mg
$1,482.19
$18.78
7,892%
Zocor 40 mg
$350.27
$8.63
4,059%
Zoloft 50 mg
$206.87
$1.75
11,821%
Source: Faloon, William, the FDA vs. the American Consumer, Life Extension Magazine; Oct 2002.
Legislation?
It’s difficult to create new laws and price control regulations, when these profit mongering corporations have such a huge presence in Washington where they employ over 625 lobbyists. According to Katharine Greider, ( The Big Fix ) “drug companies spent more money in the 1999-2000 election cycle to influence politicians than did insurance companies, telephone companies, electric companies, commercial banks, oil and gas producers, automakers, tobacco companies, food processors and manufacturers-more, in short, than any other industry,” Greider writes. “Most of that, about $177 million went to hire lobbyists from 134 firms, including 21 former members of Congress. The industry also gave $20 million in campaign contributions and spent $60 million on issue ads.” Other Nations use price controls to keep the costs of prescription drugs affordable. It’s no wonder people are purchasing drugs from Canada where you can save up to 50% on prescriptions.
Price Gouging
Pharmaceutical revenues continue to increase exponentially with a concerted effort to simply make more and more money. The forceful creation of an artificial international monopoly is gouging Americans by maintaining higher U.S. prices and securing drug patents for up to 20 years. Although some of these corporations have been warned for misleading the public with advertisement, brochures and other materials; it’s apparent that they continue to pay off Washington politicians and F.D.A. bureaucrats to stand by and do nothing about it.
Sources: Reuters News, Journal of the American Medical Association, Fortune 500, Gary Lawson, Ph.D., DPA.