Every day we sit through hundreds of commercials on drugs telling us to ask your doctor if you need this or that. What right do drug companies have to play doctor. If any one person went around offering drugs to people and they died, we would be arrested on the spot. So why do we let drug companies get away with murder. Hundreds die daily because of legal drug use. I ask a mortician once, what the number one cause of death was in seniors and he said persciption drugs over cancer and heart disease.
2006-07-07 03:50:41 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
I share your distaste for drug commercials on TV, however remember the person (whether they are senior or not) can't get their hands on the drug without a doctor's prescription. No credible doctor will prescribe a medication unless there is a bona fide need for it.
You are absolutely right that seniors misuse/abuse prescription drugs, but it isn't the commercials, it's a result of one or more of the following reasons:
1. They either forget that they already took a dose and consequently overdose on the medication
2. They have multiple doctors who unknowingly prescribe a medication that conflicts with something they are getting from another doctor that the patient didn't tell them about
3. They don't report side effects when they happen which would alert the doctor to change/stop the drug
4. They take an over-the-counter drugs that interacts with the prescription medication
2006-07-07 04:02:10 · answer #1 · answered by kathy_is_a_nurse 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The problem is though - the seniors are going to get the medication from the doctors so no matter what they advertise on tv, they can't get the medicine unless prescribed by a doctor. Do you have any idea how many seniors are left on their own with no help? You can only imagine them forgetting how much medicine to take or what to take. I'm sure there is a lot of medications that have killed because they weren't taken properly. PLUS, you said prescription drugs over cancer and heart disease. So, you have a cancer patient in a LOT of pain and they get oxycodone - almost the same thing as heroin. Here ya go - there is a lot of suicide by pain medication too so although the person has cancer, got depressed and took a lot of pain killers so he would die (suicide), it really was at that time - the pain medication that did it. But you can't keep pain medicine from a cancer patient -- that would be inhumane.
2006-07-07 10:57:02 · answer #2 · answered by butterfliesRfree 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the drug companies are part of the stock exchanges, and the only legal stipulations for stock exchange companies is to make more money to feed the pot.
Because the drug companies are holding hands with our government and big-business hospitals.
And it's not just the seniors they target-it's everyone. Watch TV long enough, and if you are weak minded, you'll find something to match some symptom you've had... and you'll go to the doctor.
It's all a great big LIE. They think we are stupid, and yeah, I guess a bunch of us are. They also target depression a lot. Yeah, let's dope em up, then we can really leech them, get them hooked on the antidepressant, the anxiety-relievers, the everythings, so that they will become dependant on the same doctors who are getting their pockets lined by these drug companies, just for prescribing zoloft instead of prozac. Loritab instead of Vicodin. Is everyone out there aware that oxycontin-related to many deaths and heart-related diseases that people are dying from everyday- is government mandated heroin? It's like this- LSD is a chemical that was created in a lab, but it was created in the likeness of psylobin, (my spelling is probably incorrect) the "active ingredient" in hallucination-generating mushrooms. They took heroin, and made a synthetic out of it, and marketed it as oxycontin. And yet, we are supposed to be fighting not only a war on drugs, but also terrorism- these commercials create terror. Let's see a war on commercialism. yeah right.
2006-07-07 11:07:16 · answer #3 · answered by Lauralanthalasa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. The drug companies are making billions by getting people to ask their Drs for prescriptions that may be dangerous to their health. Advertising drugs on TV should be illegal but the drug companies can afford to pay huge sums of money to buy off Congress. That's why health care is so expensive and you can't go to the Dr of your choice in many cases. The drug and ins companies run this country.
2006-07-07 10:55:29 · answer #4 · answered by notyou311 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do understand your argument, but at the same time, drug companies don't actually prescribe the pills to seniors. True, they advertise and push their drugs so that people will be inclined to ask their doctor, but the drug companies don't have control over what the doctor prescribes. I think drug companies are pushing/advertising their drugs a bit too much, but they don't have any control over who prescribes their drugs or who takes their drugs, that is left up to the doctor and the patient.
2006-07-07 10:57:44 · answer #5 · answered by rockinout 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Becuase some of the medicine that is being prescribed may be the difference in living for one year or 5 years. Some of the meds actually help people. You could ask the same thing of the manufacturers of cigarettes or alcohol manufacturers. They also kill people.
2006-07-07 10:55:49 · answer #6 · answered by pamela_d_99 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a simple one to answer: the government is in bed with the pharmaceutical companies. Many people are not aware of the fact that George Bush's family owns controlling interest in Merck. Seems like a conflict of interest to me.
2006-07-07 10:55:24 · answer #7 · answered by webfly2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are so right. even doctors give us pills and the pills have side affects that can kill you. so what makes doctors so right? you can have an operation and pray they did not have a fight with their wife/husband, and cut off the wrong thing. go in as a man come out as a woman, or they cut off the wrong foot. I have heard this many times. just because they go to college and medical school does not mean they are perfect. many are but many make mistakes.
2006-07-07 10:56:34 · answer #8 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I fo not like seeing drugs advertised on TV, but the patient's doctor has to prescribe them. I am not familiar with all the deaths you mention.
2006-07-07 10:55:50 · answer #9 · answered by ringocox 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
look who runs the FDA
retired poloticians
Its all about the money and it is now run by retired poloticians who were offered big saleries to hold position in the FDA
which is a conflic of intrest and we the people allow it to continue and seniors and children suffer
2006-07-07 11:00:19 · answer #10 · answered by someone 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋