Hormone replacement therapy which millions of women took until about ten years ago was officially marketed to stop hot flashes and keep their bones strong. But unofficially it was marketed as a way of staying young and sexy. Early HRT ads told women they had "outlived their ovaries" and not kept up with their husbands who wanted younger looking women. When HRT was found to increase the risk of heart attacks and cancer (sorry about that), bone drugs took up Pharma's "don't get old" message to women, pushed by former Today show host Meredith Vieira, former Charlie's Angel Cheryl Ladd and actress Sally Field. Now Pharma is telling men they also need hormone replacement therapy for their "Low T" and to retain their sexiness. Male HRT doesn't look safer than women's.
Fear of Symptoms That Seem Benign
Once upon a time people with heartburn took Tums, Alka Seltzer, Bromo Seltzer or Maalox and vowed not to eat so much. They did not worry they really had Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), were on their way to cancer of the esophagus and take proton pump inhibitors for the rest of their lives. Similarly, while depression certainly exists, people who have the blues over real things like their marriage, finances or even the loss of a loved one now go running to the doctors for "happy pills" for their "depression." Of course Pharma's biggest success in creating fear around benign symptoms is convincing parents and teachers that healthy energetic kids are suffering from ADHD. Ka-ching.
Fear of New Diseases
Who remembers Restless Legs Syndrome? Who remembers Shift Work Sleep Disorder and Non-24-hour Sleep Wake Disorder for people who probably did not get enough sleep? Obscure diseases Pharma "raises awareness" about are not made up--but they are so rare they would never be advertised unless Pharma were trying to create "demand" for expensive drugs-- especially since there is usually no confirming lab or blood test for a diagnosis. Recently North Chicago-based AbbVie rolled out two high budget drug campaigns to convince people with sore backs that they have ankylosing spondylitis and people with diarrhea that they have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, replete with web sites helping them discern that they have the disease by their symptoms. Do people with symptoms or diseases really need Pharma to tell them when to go to the doctor and what they have?
Fear that Your Child Is Not Normal
ADHD is not the only way Pharma has medicalized and monetized childhood. Temper tantrums are now called "Disruptive Mood Disregulation Disorder." Thanks to "pediatric psychopharmacology" children are increasingly diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorders, mixed manias, social phobias, bipolar disorders, conduct disorders, depression and "spectrum" disorders. Why does Pharma like kids? Children are compliant patients who will do what they parents, teachers and doctors tell them says former Pharma rep Gwen Olsen, author of Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher. They are the "ideal patient-type because they represent refilled prescription compliance and 'longevity.' In other words, they will be lifelong patients and repeat customers for Pharma." No kidding. And, once on the heavy and unnecessary drugs, many kids will exhibit reactions are be given more drugs for the side effects.
Fear That Your Drug Isn't Working
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
2
