Actually the commercials are disingenuous not necessarily false. The Bush Admin is trying to shame people into giving up illegal drugs by linking them to terrorists in general (with the implication of linking it to 9/11 terrorists in particular. They know the truth is that much like our oil; the majority of our illegal drugs come from Mexico, Canada, and California (CA is a pot monster).
While I think people should be ashamed if they use drugs to the point of becoming dysfunctional, it is poor policy to use such a specious argument. This MO is part of the reason young people and the intelligent older people disregard many of our entreaties to modify their behvior, b/c we often wrap legitimate issues in terrible policy . . . ala "just say no".
As for pharmaceuticals, drug costs, and profit motive in health promotion.
This is the basis of our country, to make money. No Corporation is out there to lose money, yet you people want
them to. If the price is too high, lower the demand. Find another way to cure your ailment. The pharmacutical
company's are pricing it because they know people will pay for it. Its easier to take a pill rather than to stay healthy.
Hell, i'd take pills rather than be active, and i'll pay for it. If you dont like it, move to some socialist country.
Personally, I would like to believe the basis of our country runs a bit deeper than making money, but history may not be on my side. No one wants corporations to lose money. But pricing has little to do with what people are willing to pay unless you are poor. The inflation in drug costs have ranged in the teens to 20% for much of the past few years. Drug companies get away with it b/c of 3rd party payer systems (private insurance, company insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, etc).
Furthermore, direct marketing to consumers (plus lack of due diligence by physicians) has lead to "name brand prescribing practices. In particular, physicians are giving people what they ask for (having seen it on television) even though less expensive and often equally effective) drugs are already on the market.
As for pills vs doing the right things (exercise, balance diet, no smoking, and moderate alcohol); it's no contest. Much of the pharmaceutical industry is working on hype. We are not making sedentary, overweight, smokers, and drinkers healthy. But we can give that guy a mad boner and grow some fuzz on a bald dome. Many docs are just tired of telling people the same things (granted some docs do have poor communication skills) to control diabetes and high blood pressure. Plus many HMOs do not reimburse (the doc) for nutrition/exercise counseling but will pay if we prescribe meds. Eventually, we give up and go to the prescription.
As for your last comment. We all pay for drug discovery. Much of the basic research is funded through NIH grants. Then drug companies take revelations on the public dole and develop/test/market drugs. Yes, they risk a lot to bring drugs to market but ultimately most products have been subsidized significantly. And if you take a close look at our socialized medicine friend to the north and socialized foe to the south you will find they better the US in essentially all categorical measures of health . . . with the prominent exception of high-tech medicine. The problem with high-tech medicine is that a small portion of the population (elderly, premature babies, and chronically ill) consumes the majority of the resources.
