Abstract: This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center observing physicians and cardiologists treat patients in real time. This experience has confirmed my desire to pursue medical school in the future. However, I know doctors work in a flawed healthcare system which has led me to research more about the medical field starting with the pharmaceutical industry. Beyond science, the more I researched; the politics and business aspects of medicine have stunned me. The profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies also known as “Big Pharma” have misguided the public regarding new drugs which have little to no health benefits. After reviewing medical journals, analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data, several researchers have consistently concluded that there is a lack of checks and balances between drug companies and governing authorities. The battle to secure unbiased, ethical drug developments has grown into one of the greatest controversies in American history. The profits are far too immense that the federal government has compromised its strict standards at the hands of drug merchants. Today, 4.5 million consumers visit their doctors regarding adverse prescription drug side effects due to false drug trials. Doctors are lured to prescribe one drug over another through gifts and vacations that affect their prescribing habits. For nearly a century, the pharmaceutical company’s goal has been to reduce costs and earn profits rather than to provide life-saving and life enhancing medicine for patients. This paper aims to offer solutions to the problem at hand through policy modifications regarding drug trials and direct physician marketing.
Keywords: pharmaceutical companies, Big Pharma, Checks and Balances in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Title: Tackling Big Pharma: Checks and Balances in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Author: Seung Hwan Baek
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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