4 ms·

I probably should have read the article ------- Since the 1990s, doctors have been under more and more pressure to treat pain as a serious medical issue. Pharm

I probably should have read the article ------- Since the 1990s, doctors have been under more and more pressure to treat pain as a serious medical issue. Pharmaceutical companies took advantage of this desire, marketing opioid painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin as a safe, effective solution to pain. ------ privatised health care and the profit incentive to prescribe high cost pain kills. I believe the Drs get a kickback from the companies for pushing a particular brand (could be wrong on that though). Also, who put the pressure on the Drs to treat pain as such? Politicians? Why would they? I imagine leant on (or the term is "lobbied" by big pharma. Would be interesting to see the "donations"* paid to politicans from big pharma right around that time and who profited from this. * I always find this funny who we in the west call this "donations" but when reporting on third world countries it is termed a "bribed". Paying money to get what you want from government so you can make more money....

maxerickson 11y ago
It's not entirely doublespeak, campaign funds aren't simply a personal slush fund. (it's probably even useful to speak of legal campaign contributions, because then when illegal bribes happen, they still get attention)
anentropic 11y ago
drug companies get money from 'treating' pain no one gets rich from preventing the causes of pain, though of course the country would save money and less people would die
marcosdumay 11y ago
OT, but... > I always find this funny who we in the west call this "donations" but when reporting on third world countries it is termed a "bribed". Well, if resolving the hypocrisy would mean calling our bribes by "donations", please, let it unresolved. We at third world countries gain a lot from your transparent accounting of what happens here.
sliverstorm 11y ago
who put the pressure on the Drs to treat pain as such? I don't have evidence of this, but I expect the patients. People don't like pain, and they want a silver bullet to make it stop.

maxerickson 11y ago

It's not entirely doublespeak, campaign funds aren't simply a personal slush fund. (it's probably even useful to speak of legal campaign contributions, because then when illegal bribes happen, they still get attention)

anentropic 11y ago

drug companies get money from 'treating' pain no one gets rich from preventing the causes of pain, though of course the country would save money and less people would die

marcosdumay 11y ago

OT, but... > I always find this funny who we in the west call this "donations" but when reporting on third world countries it is termed a "bribed". Well, if resolving the hypocrisy would mean calling our bribes by "donations", please, let it unresolved. We at third world countries gain a lot from your transparent accounting of what happens here.

sliverstorm 11y ago

who put the pressure on the Drs to treat pain as such? I don't have evidence of this, but I expect the patients. People don't like pain, and they want a silver bullet to make it stop.