One of thousands of reasons health care needs a watchdog

Deregulation practices, or lack of oversight has slowly crept into our daily fare so much, and so perniciously, that most of us haven't noticed.

One of those agencies that appears to have slipped and not evoked its charter is the FDA. Health care practices are sloppy but the indiscriminate use of prescription drugs is sloppy and potentially lethal and does cost more money than it should.


AP reports some serious problems here.

Although I am a strong proponent of patient self-advocacy, I am totally against what I consider indiscriminate pill pushing.

Since the mid-60s I've sat through dozens upon dozens of seminars, symposia, conferences, journal clubs and bull-sessions about health care efficacy from public health to infectious diseases, addiction studies, reproductive health and congenital diseases to just plain old daily health practices.

Profit is often at the center of drug policies not good health.

Someone has to take a stronger stand on how drugs are tested, who produces them, who gets them, who can advertise them, who prescribes them, how much is charged for them and who follows through on side effects.

Having worked in a medical think tank in the 90s I know it's not that the medical community is unaware of egregious practices, but that regardless of how much has been said, or how often pleas are made, the lobbyists win in the end.

Isn't it time to make health our business and not money.