Is Big Pharma a Conspiracy or Not?

[Rayasaurus]

I think that Big Pharma is definitely real, but modern medicine is incredibly helpful. It is corporate greed that keeps people in the dark about alternative medicines that work better and are cheaper either in the short or the long run.

[rubinelli]

I do think that many pharmaceutical companies are simply trying to make money. Just looking at how society tries to deal with mental illness. Those diagnosed with depression are prescribed numerous anti-depressants and harmful substances that make it hard for people to recover completely. Those who depend on these substances have no choice but to pay for them, no matter how outrageous the price. Not only that, but large companies who can pay off our government officials can stop funding to research facilities designed to find cheaper and safer alternatives to the drugs currently in our stores.

[Jsovermyer]

I think Big Pharma, insurance companies and medical professionals are all about making money. The patient comes second.

[Miercoles]

I am quite concerned that pharmaceutical companies are so caught up in making money that they often encourage us to ignore simpler, more natural remedies. Many drugs have so many side effects that patients need additional drugs to deal with the side effects. We end up in a vicious circle. Despite this we must acknowledge the benefits that have been derived from improved drugs. It is not all bad.

[liya999]

I also heard that a big farm has its positive side.

[aolayide]

Even though Big Pharma patent drugs, it is still a business. No one wants to set up a business and see it fail. Do you have any idea how long it takes for a drug to go from natural extract to the Panadol tablet you see on the Pharmacist's shelf? 15+ years of trial and error research plus over $144 million in the drain minus the hassle it takes to get FDA approval.

Apologies to those who give arm and leg to keep a stock of their required medications but forgive me for saying this, if there is a conspiracy going on, I guess I could say they have a right to ...

[Cleis]

I don't know that I would call Big Pharma a conspiracy but I do think that the privatization/capitalization of medical care means that people aren't given access to treatments that could work for them due to their profiteering. The way that Big Pharma makes decisions is like a business - it doesn't matter that those decisions determine life and death. They're looking for a healthy profit margin, and I think in that way Beljanski's statements about the pharmaceutical industry are spot on.

I don't want to downplay the severity of the Big Pharma profiteering - it's really extreme - but the prices of the Beljanski products concern me too. I was looking through The Beljanski Foundation's website as well as that of Natural Source International (a company S. Beljanski founded to sell the products) I noticed that some of the prices for the products seemed expensive ($85 for a bottle of 10 e-coli vitamins - is $8.50 a pill reasonable?) Not everything there seemed totally kosher to me. For instance, they're selling "Oncotea" at about $1.00 per tea bag, but it seems like something I could get at my grocery store. Maybe taking everything into consideration the prices aren't terrible, but to me (an outsider) they seem steep. If someone knows better and thinks I'm totally off here, let me know!

[briellejee]

Despite this we must acknowledge the benefits that have been derived from improved drugs. It is not all bad.

I agree with this. Improved drugs like penicillin and even vaccines have helped us a lot. well, there will always be pros and cons in regards to everything.

[dhomespot]

Big Pharma is a disease that has spread out of control. It is a sad case when people have to decide between eating, having electricity or getting life saving medicine because the cost of those medicines went up 400%.

[Sh3rlockian]

I'm not sure I would go as far as to say they are a conspiracy, but I wouldn't say they are looking out for our good. Especially where profit margins are concerned. People's health shouldn't have a price tag and definitely not beyond reasonable drug production costs.

[JuliaKay]

It is certainly something that I have considered. Of course, alternative medicines that are more readily available and affordable would remove money from the pockets of the big-pharma's, but it is terrible to think that people would have to suffer for this reason.

[timd]

It is unfortunate that our excessive profit dominated society will produce companies that will only be interested in the amount of money that they can make. Such companies will probably not be interested in natural alternatives that will not help them in this regard. On the other hand, there are a lot of companies selling so-called natural alternatives and making a lot of money from this. I have read several books and many articles on the subject and qualified doctors all urge to be careful of relying on alternative products and that the claimed benefits have not been properly tested and verified in clinical trials. It is virtually impossible for a layman to make an informed decision about this, but I do believe that there is a conspiracy to hide the truth behind certain alternatives, but one should still consider help from traditional medicine. I have found references to actual examples where alternative treatments have been suppressed. In South Africa traditional native healers enjoy a recognised status which is not the case in the United States, I believe.

[Joe Hadithi]

I absolutely agree with those calling Big Pharma a capitalist scam. It is.

[Cjgarland89]

I agree with most of the replies on this topic as well. Big Pharma is first and foremost a business, a very very profitable business. These companies don’t by chance shut down natural and less expensive treatments, they do it purposely so ensure that they can continue to increase profits year after year. It’s disheartening, but it is how the western world has become, its greed above all.

[Ttarantelli]

I also think pharmaceutical companies are only in it for the money. We should have more choices on treatments and alternative medicines.