Big Pharma Doesn’t Want to Cure You

Many people believe that Big Pharma doesn’t want to cure you. In today’s video, Gwen Olsen, a former pharmaceutical sales rep, shares what she believes to be the truths of the pharmaceutical business.

Many people believe that Big Pharma doesn’t want to cure you. In today’s video, Gwen Olsen, a former pharmaceutical sales rep, shares what she believes to be the truths of the pharmaceutical business.

Olsen retired from Big Pharma in 2000, after a 15-year career. She’s since written a book, “Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher,” and is not afraid to speak her mind on what she considers to be a huge problem in America: our reliance on prescription medication.

Her goal is to “dispel the myth that the pharmaceutical industry is in the business of health and healing.” Rather, she says, it’s real purpose is “disease maintenance and symptoms management.” After all, she says, curing people would put Big Pharma out of business. According to Olsen, Big Pharma makes about 5 – 6 times more money than any other Fortune 500 industry. Ergo, it’s unlikely that they would want to give that up.

She offers some strong opinions on the issue of “lifelong” pharmaceutical customers, particularly when it comes to those using psychiatric drugs. I caution readers to take that opinion with grain of salt. While it may be true that there are some for whom lifestyle changes alone would cure their depression, there are many who have severe enough chemical imbalances that lifetime medication (in conjunction with lifestyle) changes, is the only thing that keeps them functional and alive.

She and I are in agreement in our wish to hold Big Pharma accountable for defective products, however.

One comment of her that I particularly like is, “Self-educate, be proactive, share the information with others.”

In short, become your own patient advocate.

One cautionary comment in conclusion: if you are currently on prescription medication, especially for mental health issues, do NOT under any circumstances stop taking them without your doctor’s guidance. Some of these medications have potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.