Overwhelming ads, promises of side-effect reduction, and shelves full of products that cure the same ailment. L'pharmaceutical industry – one of the most profitable and important businesses in the world – has become a giant on a par with the big energy lobbies.
But what is behind the world drug market? What are the mechanisms that regulate it? And above all: are we really sure of what we take every time we swallow a pill or give an injection?
It is quite difficult to give an answer to these questions, which often each of us when faced with a more or less serious disorder has asked. We know that there are many control mechanisms and just as many authorities that regulate the placing on drug market.
But, despite being convinced that generalizations such as to question the rigor of the majority of manufacturing companies are not possible, we went to explore the lesser known - and more obscure - side of this large and powerful market.
Many investigations, conducted by journalists and researchers, have revealed truly disturbing aspects. And one of the works that had a huge impact worldwide was the volume Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre.
A text in which too many words are not used to describe the mechanisms which, in some cases, have led to pharmaceutical companies to rig test results “of their drugs, using paradoxically legal methods to make them seem far more effective and necessary than they actually are”.
But what are the most controversial aspects of this world? scandals and doctors bribed to prescribe useless drugs
