How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients

Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients

by Ray Moynihan

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2232 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	352 pages

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The pharmaceutical industry is a trillion-dollar business, and it's growing every year. But what are the costs of this growth? In this article, we'll explore how the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies are turning us all into patients.

The Medicalization of Society

One of the most concerning trends in healthcare today is the medicalization of society. This is the process by which normal human experiences are transformed into medical conditions that require treatment with drugs or other interventions.

The medicalization of society is driven by a number of factors, including:

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• The increasing power and influence of the pharmaceutical industry.
• "Disease mongering" by pharmaceutical companies, which involves marketing new drugs for conditions that were previously considered normal or harmless.
• The overdiagnosis of diseases, which is often driven by financial incentives for doctors and hospitals.
• The overtreatment of diseases, which can lead to serious side effects and even death.

The medicalization of society has a number of negative consequences, including:

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• Increased healthcare costs.
• Unnecessary suffering from side effects of drugs and other treatments.
• A loss of faith in the medical system.

The Role of the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry is a major player in the medicalization of society. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars each year on marketing and advertising, which helps to create demand for their products.

Pharmaceutical companies also use their financial influence to lobby for laws and regulations that favor their industry. For example, the pharmaceutical industry successfully lobbied against a bill that would have allowed the government to negotiate lower drug prices.

The pharmaceutical industry's marketing and lobbying efforts have helped to create a system in which we are all potential patients. We are constantly bombarded with messages that we are sick or at risk of getting sick, and that we need to take medication to stay healthy.

The Costs of Medicalization

The medicalization of society has a number of costs, including:

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• Healthcare costs: The medicalization of society has led to a dramatic increase in healthcare costs. In the United States, healthcare costs are now over $3 trillion per year, and they are continuing to rise.
• Unnecessary suffering: The medicalization of society has led to unnecessary suffering for millions of people. People are being diagnosed with and treated for diseases that they do not have, and they are taking medications that can have serious side effects.
• Loss of faith in the medical system: The medicalization of society has led to a loss of faith in the medical system. People are increasingly skeptical of doctors and other healthcare professionals, and they are less likely to seek care when they are sick.

What Can We Do?

The medicalization of society is a serious problem, but there are things that we can do to fight back. Here are a few things that you can do:

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• "Be a skeptic of medical marketing and advertising.
• "Talk to your doctor about your concerns about medicalization.
• "Support organizations that are working to reduce the medicalization of society.

By taking action, we can help to create a healthier society for ourselves and our children.

Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients

by Ray Moynihan

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2232 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	352 pages

FREE