Warning: Side effects may include a clear and concise representation of the truth about pharmaceutical's big business. Pharmaceutical companies control the drugs we use. Marketing campaigns, commercial advertising, and our own doctors are used to make sure we take the drugs the big pharmacy companies want us to. These big name companies will tell us their product is for our best self-interest, but in reality we are the profit for their own interest. In 2004 pharmaceutical companies spent $57.5 billion dollars on drug campaigns and promotional advertising. The investigative journalism group Propublica reported: "$258 million in payments over a recent eighteen month period, from seven large pharmaceutical companies to about 17,700 physicians for speaking, consulting, meals and travel." This means the pharmaceutical companies were paying doctors to represent their products and go out to convince other doctors to buy their drugs. Pharmaceutical companies and the doctors that represent them are acting in their own best interest. Patients are the ones who are suffering as of result. Along with not being given full information or other options to the drugs they are taking, they are also being used to feul big business. At least the FDA can regulate what can and cannot be produced for the public, right?.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot recall a drug, instead, they can only issue notices based on the product's severity. The notices are split into three different classes. Class 1 being the most severe, warns the consumer that there is a chance of severe harm or death. Class 2 warns the consumer that the product mar cause side effects, but the side effects can be treated. Class 3 has no side effects that can possibly cause a health concern. Out of all Class 1 recall notices issued, only 60% are actually put into action, and can remain on the production line for years. Pharmaceutical companies will place the severity of the class on the box of the prescription, that way there is an ability to deny responsibility of any of the product's side effects.