Two years ago I took a routine cardiopulmonary stress test. I was 37. And I “failed” it.
Hooked up to electrodes I jogged on a treadmill. And the rhythm of my heart alerted the specialist to a slight, possible abnormality.
The next day, I lay on a table like a pregnant woman, undergoing an examination similar to an ultrasound. A day later, my heart set off an alarm during a CT scan when my resting rate dropped to 36 beats per minute.
But what do you think these tests revealed? Nothing. They couldn’t find anything wrong with my heart. I was perfectly normal. But the specialist, who coupled as a pharmacist, prescribed Lipitor to eradicate any soft plaque that I may have had.
Lipitor is Pfizer’s biggest selling drug. Pfizer—the world’s largest pharmaceutical company– had sales exceeding $45 billion last year, (Pfizer -Valueline – report requires a pdf reader) with Lipitor leading the way. It’s supposed to reduce a patient’s cholesterol levels—of which mine were in a healthy, normal range.
I sat down on the chair in the specialist’s waiting room and leaned back on a pillow labeled “Pfizer”.
When the paperwork was ready, I accepted the drugs, and signed a form with a pen labeled “Pfizer”.
After I promised to keep exercising I left. But I didn’t want to take Lipitor. As far as anyone could tell my heart was perfectly fine. So I didn’t take it. And I get a decent amount of exercise.
As an owner of Pfizer shares, I was somewhat embarrassed to think of the marketing “bribery” that I suspected went far beyond pens and pillows. Why would a specialist prescribe drugs to a healthy guy?
I’ll never know for sure, but pillows, pens, and this article definitely have me thinking.
Read the Article: Pfizer to Pay Record Penalty
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Matthew says:
September 7, 2009 at 7:47 pm (UTC 8 )
All these promotional shenanigans by companies like Pfizer obviously drive up their products’ prices, ultimately resulting in the absurdly high cost of health care in America today. To me, this represents the darker side of capitalism, for as much as I hate what’s happening, I still think that Pfizer is a well-run company and sound investment for my own hard-earned money. Does that make me a hypocrite?
Andrew Hallam says:
September 7, 2009 at 9:21 pm (UTC 8 )
If you ever get a chance to read Richard Branson’s autobiography, you’ll see how the “good guys” (Ok, the guy has to be a bit bias) can win. His airline’s documented battle with British Airways, and BA’s under-handed methods make Pfizer look like a pretty light touch. Pfizer is being singled out, there’s no doubt about that. Are you a hypocrite though? I guess you are if I am. I own about 1000 shares of Coca Cola, but it’s terrible stuff, not really adding a stitch of value to anyone’s health.
Purchase Order – 4 SEP 09 | Andrew Hallam says:
September 5, 2009 at 3:59 pm (UTC 8 )
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