Deception and Action

In her book, Angell describes in detail the deception and expansion of Big Pharma and associated pharmaceutical research. While the deception remains constant and undeterred, she gives us the inspiration to do something about it. First off the bat, I would like to commend Angell for her unyielding and thoroughly analytical writing. Her two decades at the New England Journal of Medicine have obviously given her a sharp edge with which she makes a compelling arguement. So much so that it is easy for the reader to get caught up in the writing and not bring in their own comparisons and experience. She is propaganda-ish and exceedingly easy to trust, similar to way Survival of the Sickest seemed. Regardless, one cannot dismiss her experience with the industry and her crude yet informative investigative style. 

In light of this writing style, I came to agree with the points Angell made. The slide towards the commercialization and corruption of clinical research has led to a full on privately run business that is producing over $200 billion a year. Commercialization has led to investigations into the control research sponsors at these private firms can exert on the analysis and design of clinical trials. The evident distortion of outcomes and the issues of non-reporting/biased reporting are points made which would make any honest American citizen suspicious of the drugs they take. Furthermore, the increasing association between the big industry and the facilities of universities allows the private firms to buy into the best minds of the pharmaceutical industry. I was very shocked by Angell's example of the exorbitant consulting fees paid out to individual faculty members and selected scientists. More broadly however, the effects of commercialization spread out to the commercialization of universities, medical schools and to individual doctors around the nation. How can we support the integration of these companies into our very health-care system and not be knowledgeable about the scandal. These firms are taking up more power resources then they deserve from the American public. We have a name for when the cells in our body take more then they deserve: cancer.

And so I rather entirely agree with Angell. We need to change the way we manage the research, development and distribution of new drugs through public education and political action. Angell also seemed to stress that small actions will not help us. One pill isn't going to cure your cancer. However,  an intensive treatment with the full power of the public would easily stop the nonsense that is forming. In effect, we need everyone knowing and ready to act if we are to cure ourselves. Not only is the health care system and the health of the individual at risk, but also the entire scale of the medical system including universities and governments. The thought of leaving the decisions of health to the American marketplace is an appalling and frightening thought.