2008 Woodie Awards
Alternative medicine only way to avoid harsh side effects of prescriptions
Pharmaceutical companies are in control of the doctors who have simply become messengers, delivering a dose of comfort in an Rx bottle.
By: Kim Nolan
Issue date: 11/3/05 Section: Opinion/Editorial
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A long list of adverse effects is a common ending to prescription drug commercials. Most side effects of new drugs are discovered via testing on unknowing human subjects. Because of this, alternative medicine remains our safest option for longevity, especially while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in charge.
After being available to the public for five years, Vioxx, an arthritis pain reliever, was pulled from the market September 2004. In a Jan. 14, 2005 CNN article, a veteran FDA drug safety scientist said Americans are defenseless under the current drug-approval system. After Merck & Co., the maker of Vioxx, was investigated by the Senate, CNN published an article citing Merck's Vioxx as possibly causing 88,000 to 139,000 stokes or heart attacks before any action was taken.
In a February 2005 hearing, the FDA announced a new safety board whose purpose would be to monitor drugs for unexpected side effects that show up after the drugs have been released to the public. There we have it, a board affirming we are guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies.
In the 1990s AIDS activists and pharmaceutical companies complained that the FDA was taking too long to approve newly developed medications. The FDA responded to complaints by devising a "fast track" for vital medications to treat life-threatening diseases. These drugs were not required to go through the same safety trials, but were supposed to be monitored by the manufacturers for unexpected side effects after public release.
In 1997 the FDA changed the rules on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications. Advertisements for new, unknown, promising drugs saturated American media. Happy couples advertised drugs like Valtrex for genital herpes and proud men attributed their success to Viagra. Drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx were being prescribed for arthritis while Zoloft became a standard prescription for anxiety and depression. These pharmaceutical jackpots became household names like Ritalin. Based on the misplaced trust in the FDA, people assumed that if these drugs were FDA approved, the risks were minimal.
The FDA was not the only one to blame when the case against ABLE Laboratories was filed. In May 2004 the FDA sent a warning letter to ABLE citing 27 reports of adverse effects of its drugs, saying ABLE did not report them. As CNN explained, this is different than the Vioxx case. Here we have a company manufacturing a finished product that was known to be damaging. They were consciously packaging a harmful product, and they raked in $100 million in 2004 from sales of generic versions of household drugs like Tylenol.
Side effects of drugs like Vioxx are always supposed to be immediately reported to our pharmaceutical representatives, also known as our doctors. It's ironic that we are expected to trust the people who prescribed a medication that resulted in adverse side effects.
Pharmaceutical companies are in control of the doctors who have simply become messengers, delivering a dose of comfort in an Rx bottle. Americans seem to put complete trust in someone who wears a white lab coat.
Drug companies fund 70 percent of drug research and drug development costs. The medical and general communities are concerned about the connection between drug promotion and doctors' exposure to drug companies. The common fear is that doctors' clinical judgments and prescribing choices will be negatively influenced by the drug promotion tactics. The only way to avoid being a living laboratory for pharmaceutical companies is to seek out alternative therapies.
Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medical practice, involves the gentle insertion of hair-like needles into meridians or energy-channels throughout the body. By balancing the meridians, an acupuncturist can treat anything from insomnia to infertility, depression or tendonitis. This is considered one of the oldest medical practices in the world, dating back to 2,000 years ago.
Yoga is another ancient therapy originating in India around 2500 BC. Yoga is a physical practice based on the connection between mind, body and spirit. Studies have shown that people who practice yoga have reduced anxiety, are more resistant to stress, have lower blood pressure, more efficient heart function, better respiratory function and improved physical fitness.
For those of you that don't want a future determined by medications treating the side effects of other medications, evaluate how to protect and promote the health that you already have. Through meditation, nutrition and a healthy emotional mind we can increase our chances of staying well, staying away from the doctors' offices and staying out of the grips of the pharmaceutical giants.
Kim Nolan, a senior journalism major, is a staff reporter for The Journal.