Synopsis: Book, The Truth About Drug Companies

In yesterday's blog, I told you about Marcia Angell, M.D.s book, The Truth About Drug Companies, How they Decieve Us and What to Do About It. Since I know for a fact that most of you are too busy to buy the book, much less read it, I am going to give you a synopsis of pertinent points.

• Overall Dr. Angell, editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine for 20 years, tells us that pharmacuetical companies are bypassing any kickback to doctor laws by hiring third party consulting firms, often marketing firms, which then hire 'consultants', who are medical doctors. The information the third party consulting firms (marketing firms) and the consultants (medical doctors) disperse is called educational, and not marketing. Doctors attending the education (marketing) seminars for necessary continuing education (often a four course meal at an elegant restuarant--or waaaay more), are called consultants as well. All are paid in one form or another. Thus, the bypass. According to Dr. Angell, on p. 149 of her book, the government, knows about it and accepts it. Drug companies do this to the tune of around 35 billion dollars a year.
• And this might all be alright if the information (marketing) were actually all for approved of uses for drugs. It is not. All companies want and need what they call blockbuster drugs, drugs that make a fortune. If they have a drug that works, for its' FDA approved use, but services only an few thousand people, they make it a blockbuster drug by educating (marketing) it to doctors for off label uses, which have flimsy to no studies done supporting off label use. Often, ususally, the marketing firms prepare papers supplied by drug companies, then pay $100 doctors for adding their names to the study.
• Example: Nuerotonin It's FDA approved of use was as the last resort to treat epilepsy when other drugs failed to control seizures in 1994 (p. 158) (I can relate to this ya'll, I have had epileptic type seizures before I discovered an increase in magnesium completely eliminates them.) Later it was approved to treat shingles as well. These are not blockbuster uses.
• With no proper clinical trials, Parke-Davis implemented a campaign, called a "publications strategy" to get Nuerotonin prescribed for a variety of vague conditions like pain and anxiety of various forms, and also as the sole treatment for epilepsy. (Let me again remind you that magnesium is used for all of the these with little to no side effects and at very little cost, about $7/month by wholistic healthcare providers. If you have a vague condition, why would your medical doctor not have you try magnesium supplementation first?--answer, pharmacuetical marketing)
• Parke-Davis paid academic researchers (via education --ie marketing--firms) to put their names on minimal research based journal articles (remember, Dr. Angell was editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, she knows what she is talking about). p. 159 "the articles themselves were so small or poorly designed that few valid conclusions could be drawn from them. Some of the articles contained no new data at all, just favorable comments about Neurontin.
• P. 159 "In a progress report to Park-Davis, the education company lamented, "Author interesed; still playing phone tag." Then in caps, "[OUR COMPANY] HAD DRAFT COMPLETE, WE JUST NEED AN AUTHOR." " (Now remember ya'll, there are no substantive studies done to support the claim that Nuerontin helps pain)
• Parke-Davis medical liaisons (marketing reps) were prepped with " "When we get out there, we want to kick some ass. We want to sell Neurontin on pain, All right?" " p. 159. (Pain, hum, why not chiropractic, or acupuncture, or even arctic cod liver oil and magnesium or digestive enzymes inbetween meals, which helps lots of folks. Hum... why? Could it be, oh yes, 35 billion dollars of off books pharmacuetical marketing to your favorite medical doctors?)
• In addition, Parke-David sponsored 'educational" (marketing) meetings and conferences all over the country, where the 'authors" (NOT!) of the papers would describe the success ofthe drug for off-label uses. (remember ya'll, there are still no substantive studies done on any of it) "Dozens of doctors were allegedly paid tens of thousands of dollars each to speak to other physicians about using Neurontin for more than a dozen unapproved uses." P. 160 both doctors presenting the marketing and doctors in the audience were paid as consultants. (and recieved continuing education credits)
• Result? Neurontin became a blockbuster, selling $2.7 billion in 2003 alone, with about 80 of it being used for unapproved of uses, including biplar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, hot flashes, migraines, and tension headaches. p. 160, last paragraph
• "In fact, Neurontin has become a sort of all-purpose restorative for chronic discomfort of almost any type--yet there is almost no good published evidence that it works for most of these conditions."

Does your medical doctor, marketed to by pharmacuetical companies, say something similar to you about any herb or supplement you take that you swear makes all the difference in the world? I can promise you, from experience, traditonal western medical doctors act like they know, but they know absolutley NOTHING about your herb or supplement or the Physicians Desk reference for Herbs and Supplements, (based primarily on years of reliable study by the German government). Buy Dr. Angells' book--it is only about $10 at www.amazon.com Turn to pages 160 and 161, and highlight that paragraph. Pull it out and say, "well, I guess that is like Neurontin, huh?" You won't make a friend, but neither will he or she try to intimidate you again.

• The only reason we know about this is that a whistle blower brought it to court. P. 161 (think of how much this goes on with all drugs, off label use, all the time that no whistle blwer ever brought to court?)

If you want proper education about side effects and off label uses you might be taking your medication for, get yourself a really good wholistic pharmacist like http://www.peoplesrx.com As well, ask them what other patients, customers, have had luck with naturally, for similar symptoms. And if you have to take a pharmacuetical, and if you still haven't found wholistic medical doctor, nor wholistic pharmacist, ask your pharmacuetically marketed to medical doctor "Is this a FDA approved of use?" "No? Before I take it, I want to see the studies backing up it's off label usage, you do have those, right?"

And remember, you can get a prescription and, unless in urgent need (remember Neurontin was used off label 80% of the time for vague reasons), do some investigation on your own before taking it. And http://www.peoplesrx.com is an excellent source. Or just ask your won pharmacist. He or she can't tell you to take or not to take the pharmacuetical but they can tell you what it's FDA approved usage is.

You can choose not to take the pharmacuetical. You can choose to find another medical doctor. You can choose so many different ways to heal. That is why I emphasis using acupuncture, chiropractic, medical and pharmacy....there are just soooo many ways to heal. Think about Albert Saenz (previous blog) who tried all avenues of healing before finding that acupuncture completley eliminated his foot pain. Just because the pharmacuetical company won't make money off you finding another way to heal, just because your medical doctor won't make money if you get well (I went from 9 medical doctors down to one), remember, it is not their life, it is yours. Keep it that way!