WHY THE CIST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IS SO HIGH

Big pharma spends far more money on promoting their products than they do on research for new products

Here is how a reader of Big Jolly Times responded to my article, “Fed Crackdown On Pot Seems Doomed To Failure.”

“Just curious if Howie is just as passionate about big pharma and their dope peddling that kills with impunity, all you have to do is make a doctors appointment instead of seeking a dealer.”

Here was my response.

Actually I worked for big pharma for a couple of years before I returned to police work. Back then they were not allowed to advertise in the print media or on the radio. They got their business by bribing doctors all too willing to accept interest-free loans and gifts, such as office furniture. Some of those loans were forgiven if the doctors used the company's products.

I worked for one of the smaller companies and had to rely on the superiority of my products. Once a month I would be in Las Vegas. I called on a clinic that had eight doctors, that many nurses and several clerical personnel. When I tried to sell the head of the clinic on my product, he said something like this: "I know that your's is better than what we prescribe. But their representative takes the whole clinic out for dinner and to a casino show once a month. If you will do that, I'll switch to your product."

Now that is an extreme example and most doctors were not as forthcoming. But many of them would say so-and-so is handing out this-and-that, why don't you do that too? And one of the other reps handed out some really expensice pens. He told me that when word got around, doctors would ask, "Whwer's my pen?" He would reply, "They're prescribing my drugs, you're not. Now if you'll switch over, I've got a pen for you." (I still have one of those pens.)

While all that disgusted me, I'm not ready to condemn big pharma to the extent you have. Of course most drugs may have undesirable side effects and patients have died from taking them strictly as prescribed. But for most patients, those drugs work as intended.

With all the TV ads for drugs, patients pester their doctors for what they saw on the boob tube and the doctors will acquiesce.

And this brings me to another gripe. Big pharma spends far more money on promoting their products than they do on research for new products. That is why the cost of drugs is so high.