Prescription Drugs Ignorance is Bliss

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Where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise, says the proverb. Most married women know things, but feign ignorance. Some hit the roof and call husbands unprintable names. Others want to change the prenuptial agreement on the spot, to heal a wounded heart. Women before us knew things, but stayed to build a home for the kids. They knew their mothers’ advice by heart. You cannot change the sun. Our grandfathers.

This blog is about prescription drugs. My faith in the medical profession took a nosedive the first time I learned about salesmen that visit doctors’ offices, with samples of drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies.

In fact, it was a movie and the lead character was the salesman.  You need a smooth tongue for that job. I was disappointed because I thought doctors prescribed the most effective drug possible. Little did I know that it is the best marketed drug that ends up on a prescription. From where I’m standing, a salesman is not a certified doctor. He’s a man with a briefcase full of samples. I’m sure they are safe because the industry is highly regulated and salesmen are trained, but I still feel uncomfortable with a non-medical person convincing a doctor that a drug will be good for patients.

What do doctors do with the samples? They give them out to patients without a drug plan I suppose. Doctors can also prescribe them for patients that have plans or money to buy them. This movie reminded me of ads that say I should buy certain pills because they are recommended by most doctors. How is that possible? Is it because they are effective, or  because they have extremely good pharmaceutical salesmen?

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger 

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