TV Drug Ads Make Prescription Drugs the Leading Cause of Death, Disability and Illness

Google "medical deaths" and the 2nd link shows medical care as the 3rd leading cause of death, quoting the Journal of American Medical Assoc, 7-26-2000, but we want to look only at drugs, not errors, infections, etc. 2.2 million adverse drug reactions (defined as "serious" enough to be in hospitals) were reported and 106,000 deaths, "making these reactions between the fourth and sixth leading cause of death." Journal of American Medical Assoc, April 15, 1998, p 1200.

Question: If 106,000 die in hospitals from drugs "properly prescribed and administered," how many die outside the hospital from prescriptions? 199,000 according to MD's Starfield and Weingart, Journal of American Med. Assoc, July 26, 2000; Nov. 1, 2000; p 484; West J Med. June, 2000, 172(6):390-3. This brings the total to 305,000 for 1998-2000.

"From 1998 through 2005, reported serious adverse drug events increased 2.6-fold...fatal adverse drug events increased 2.7-fold..." Archives of Internal Medicine, Sep 10, 2007, p 1752. But if deaths increased 2.7 fold from 1998 to 2005, by 2009 they are increased 4-fold. Multiplying 305,000 deaths/year by 4, prescribed drugs killed 1.2 million people/year-- these are not old people in nursing homes--most of them weren't even in the hospital.

837,000 deaths is like 12 airplanes with 100 people each crashing three times a day, 333 days/year. When only three planes crashed on 9/11, the government grounded all planes. Why not now? Confronted with these figures, a U.S. Senator said it is futile because the pharmaceutical industry controls congress. They spend $400 million/year to help re-election campaigns, says (Marcia Angell, MD, former editor of New England Journal of Medicine (60 Minutes' interview), now teaching at Harvard.

nThe total cost was estimated to be $76.6 billion, rivaling the aggregate cost of caring for patients who have diabetes.” Western Journal Med, 6-2000, p 391

Congress is "dancing with the devil," says Marcia Angell, MD, in The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us, 2004, published by Random House. Angell says, "Drug companies promote diseases to match their drugs. Millions of normal Americans have come to believe that they have dubious or exaggerated ailments like 'generalized anxiety disorder,' 'erectile dysfunction,' 'PMDD,' and 'GERD." Government should get the drug ads off TV.

General Accounting Office reported that for a decade, half of hundreds of drugs that were approved by the FDA had "serious post-approval risks, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, seizures and kidney failure."
Pharmaceutical companies do not do long-term studies. They do not want to know the results because they would be liable as tobacco companies were. But why do our tax dollars fund their research through NIH? And why do they get to push their drugs with TV ads?
Pfizer’s torcetrapib fulfilled its promise, increasing good cholesterol by 72% and reducing bad cholesterol by 24% in patients who were also taking a potent cholesterol-lowering drug. Despite the increase, the rate of potentially deadly heart problems rose by 25%, deaths rose by 40%.USA Today, 11-6, 2007. Pfizer spent $800 million developing a drug they could not bring to market.
Meanwhile, scientists are discovering plant chemicals like lutein, lycopene and sulforaphane that protect against blindness, cancer, heart problems. What's the difference? Drug companies cannot patent natural products, so they focus on chemicals that relieve symptoms but do not cure. They are greedy and deserve to be taxed like tobacco companies to pay for the ever-increasing cost of medical care that their products cause. Click here to send your congressman a message about the ads on TV (under construction)

Famous Quotes
The Father of Modern Medicine, Sir William Osler:
""Far too large a section of the treatment of disease is today controlled by the big manufacturing pharmacists, who have enslaved us in a plausible pseudo-science...We take into our bodies which we know little about, drugs that we know less about, to treat diseases that we know nothing about."

"Nature cures, not the physician...let your food be your medicine." Hippocrates

"The doctor of the future will dispense no drugs, but will interest his patients in prevention." Thomas Edison

"Every nation practicing western medicine is on the brink of bankruptcy" (author unknown)

"Babylon is fallen...for by her sorceries [pharmakeia is the Greek word] were all nations deceived" Revelation 18:2,23

Practical Help
Most medicine should not be stopped suddenly. Ask your doctor's help as you eat better and get exercise. Your need for medication should be less and you can taper off. Tapering slowly is especially important with anti-depressants, seizure and heart medicine. Your doctor can advise you on taking it twice a day instead of three times for a week before further cutting the dose. If he thinks you will die, get a another opinion--you may need to try several MDs.

Richard Ruhling, MD, MPH is a cardiologist and board-certified internist who taught at Loma Linda University. His websites include www.TakeCareOfYourself.netfirms.com and www.Exodus2.info

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The #1 Cause of Death: Prescription Drugs