Change is Gonna Come: Gwen Olsen and Jennifer Shaw Expose the Pharmaceutical Industry

This song, recorded by Sam Cooke in the late 1960s, is relevant today:

As the need for change in racial segregation was Cooke's theme then, 

so might the need for change in abusive practices of Big Pharma be an

an interpretation of the song now. A change needs to happen.

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The familiar format for fear-inducing, 
late-night drug infomercials: "If you 
feel like this, then get these pills
right away!" 

          One of the most insidious, "hidden in plain sight" crimes against humanity right now, in my opinion, is the damage done by drug corporations and their cohorts, especially in America.

        I first noticed something weird going on many years ago, when commercials advertising  drugs began popping up regularly on television.  The commercials usually describe a litany of symptoms the viewer is "probably" suffering from.




          Then, they go so far as advising viewers to immediately go tell their doctors they want a prescription for this or that pill, how it's going to save them.  Wait --the patients diagnosing themselves, then telling their doctors to medicate them, and with what ...ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND?!  Clearly, there is a problem here.

           It didn't take much further research for me to understand the disconcerting, deadly collusion going on behind those commercials.  For all the good pharmaceutical corporations do, and the good many, many well-meaning doctors do every day, growing perscription drug abuse is blatantly fueled by utterly greedy factions of these same parties, with full support of cadres of politicians, special interest groups, lobbyists, and others.  Our health and wellness is the last thing on any of these parasite's minds!

Troubling Testimonies

          Is making a profit wrong?  No. Is mass-producing and selling medicines wrong? Of course not.   But is intentionally selling drugs with known (and in many cases, unknown) negative side-effects to a populace using disinformation-based fear tactics, and doling out generous kickbacks to licensed medical doctors so they'll push them on people, the least bit wrong?  Karmically, and in every other way, on every level, yes!

          Some people involved in this criminal system do change their ways.  Their consciences could only take so much.  The two women below went public with the realities of this industry, exposing it by writing books and speaking publically.  Their testimonies give us a troubling glimpse into the insidiousness of what we're dealing with, and why it isn't an easy problem to fix. 

 

Gwen Olsen, formerly a successful drug sales rep, experienced Big Pharma from both sides of the fence.  She suffered personal tragedy and resultant soul-searching which inspired her to be an outspoken activist against the corrupt, deadly aspect of the pharmaceutical industry.  Her goal is to be a "voice" for victims, a disproportionately high number of which happen to be children and the elderly.

Hmm...interestingly, this video was removed a few months after I wrote this post.  

In the video, Jennifer Shaw was interviewed about her book, Big Pharma's Sexy Little Secret.  She discussed common industry practices such as tracking real-time pharmaceutical drug sales on a laptop all day, then "rewarding" doctors who prescribed the most drugs with perks like season tickets to sports events, invitations to conventions, payments of generous "speaker's fees," etc.  Some reps, she explained, even resorted to sexual favors as incentives.  Makes ya' wonder: how many drugs prescribed to you were not for your health, but to help make someone's yatch payment, or foot a trip to Europe, or because the rep looked good in a tight skirt?

Educating, Rather than Medicating

         The best we can do is educate ourselves.  And rather than assume a pharmaceutical cure is the only possibility (our knee-jerk reaction in America --indeed, Big Pharma has trained us very well), I invite people to keep an open mind as to other opportunities for alleviating symptoms.

         For instance, I have experienced how powerful incorporating herbal supplements into the diet could be (preferably under the advisement of a professional herbalist, especially if the symptoms are serious).  This tends to help balance the overall body, and as a positive side-effect alleviate one's symptoms.  In future articles, I'll share some simple, common remedies I found worked well for me, to my surprise.  The Chinese and many other cultures around the world have successfully used plants in this way for thousands of years, and continue to do so today. 

One company scratches the back of another,
and so on...  They are connected in an intricate
web held together by both corporate greed, and
by our perceived dependency on the products
they sell.

         Of course, I suspect we will not see America's Food & Drug Administration acknowledge the efficacy of these time-tested treatments any time soon. Why?  Because one can't turn a nice profit on a plant grown and harvested in the average citizen's backyard, or obtained for a few dollars from a trusted, knowledgeable local herbalist.

        That's why labels on bottles of herbs sold in health stores read, "This product has not been evaluated by the FDA...," blah, blah.  Until a significant change comes, they and others will continue benefiting from campaigns of fear, misinformation, and death of innocent people, for the sake of profit.  And we will continue to suffer.

Listen to the Message of an Illness

          I'm not saying don't consult with a physician when not feeling well. On the contrary, I always recommend seeing a doctor, getting an examination and tests done if need be, along with second or third opinions for any serious stuff. But I also suggest people bring a sense of mindfulness to their overall health --mentally, emotionally and physically.  I suggest they take a deeper look at their entire lives, beyond the symptoms from which they may be suffering. 

          Awareness is the most powerful cure of all.  Sometimes illnesses may be pointing us toward changes we need to make in our lives.  For instance, I have noticed many symptoms could easily be cured by simple changes in one's diet.  People with celiac disease and other food-related illnesses will tell you that.  I've experienced this myself.  You may be surprised how what you're eating may be affecting you.  A symptom or suite of symptoms may simply be a strong allergic reaction to a particular food, or foods, and the illness may just be trying to tell you to change your diet.  

         Sometimes one's symptoms are a reaction to something in the environment, like manmade chemicals or organic phenomena, and the illness merely serves to bring awareness of our sensitivities to it.  Not long ago, after a trip to the emergency ward and having to use an inhaler afterward, I discovered I was allergic to outdoor mold after it rains.  Later, at the suggestion of an herbalist, I substituted the inhaler with homeopathic drops under my tongue (which are just trace amounts of the mold itself, suspended in water), and a mask after it rains if I have to be outside.  With these simple changes, I no longer needed prescription allergy pills and an albuterol inhaler --seems I never needed them in the first place.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian health 
care system founded on the premise 
that mental and physical health are 
interconnected.  Its practice seems to be
experiencing a worldwide resurgence.

           Of particular interest to me is how the thoughts we think and the emotions we feel affect our health.  How we frame those thoughts and emotions can actually make us physically ill! 

          When this is the case, medicating the depression, panic or anxiety attacks, sleeplessness, skin rashes, ulcers or other symptoms brought on by staying in a bad situation isn't the answer.  The illness itself may be telling us to, for instance, leave a toxic, dysfunctional relationship or work environment, or to speak up for ourselves on an issue about which we've been silent.  Proactive, positive life changes like these often have profoundly healing effects.

A Change is Gonna Come

         I am not hoping these corporations go out of business one day --far from it. Their products and services are needed, and they employ a whole lot of people around the world.  I am hoping, however, that they have changes of heart as Gwen and Jennifer did, and change their way of doing business.  I'm hoping they will one day appreciate the value, both economically and spiritually, in embracing and upholding the concept of "right livelihood" in their practices.  There's no reason one can't make a good living while working ethically in one's business.

         I believe all this will change for the better as more people gain awareness of what's really going on within their own bodies and minds, as well as within the world of medicine.  And I think a time will come when more and more of us will just get sick and tired of the greed, manipulation, abuse and even death perpetuated by those connected with drug corporations, the ones who are supposed to be making us better, healing us.  I hope --no, I know the courageous work of people like Gwen Olsen and Jennifer Shaw will be instrumental in positive, long-overdue changes in the pharmaceutical industry, and in our health and well-being.

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Resources:

Confessions of an RX Drug Pusher,
by Gwen Olson

Big Pharma's Sexy Little Secret,
by Jennifer Shaw

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