Last month AstraZeneca was fined $520 million dollars for illegally marketing its schizophrenia drug, Seroquel. According to the federal investigation, AstraZeneca admitted to aggressive marketing practices that have expanded the new market of antipsychotic drugs for children and the elderly. Unfortunately, AstraZeneca is not the first company to be caught with unethical marketing practices in the pharmaceutical industry but the fourth. The largest fine lobbied by the United States against a pharmaceutical company was in 2009 against Pfizer. Pfizer was fined $2.3 billion dollars in September 2009 for the off-labeling of the painkiller Bextra. The fine also covered $301 million for the illegal labeling of Geodon, an antipsychotic drug.
In the United States the antipsychotic drug industry is now the largest market segment, passing cholesterol-lowering drugs; this industry accounts for $14.6 billion of the nation's $300 billion drug industry.
In my opinion this push for antipsychotic drugs only solidifies the United States overmedication of children. Many children who come from broken homes or are labeled as 'problematic' need to be counseled instead of being forced to take these medications because it is the proverbial 'quick fix'. Unfortunately, if we do not regulate pharmaceutical companies everyone in the United States will be on some form of anti-psychotic medication for any old reason. These companies are tapping into our collective desires to exploit our fears. As Norman Bates once said, "We all go a little crazy sometimes", but that doesn't mean we have to just pop some pills and forget about our problems.
Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/business/27drug.html
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The problem is that those drugs are marketed to be safe of side effects and the answer for the only answer for the problem it is designed for. Once the medical committee is convinced then they not only use it of patients who suffer from the problem but also patients who have minor symptoms.you mentioned 2 of the major companies in the industry which is really worrying. Eli lilly was also accused of similar problem
ReplyDeleteread: http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/15/news/companies/eli_lilly/
Ola
Coming from Europe, that was one of the things that blew my mind when I moved here. All these kids being fed with strong medication for anxiety, depression or hyperactivity. I told my parents who still live in Europe and they also thought it was crazy. I am sure I was in all of the stages at one point...it's called puberty!
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