I lost my brother
When I saw this Facebook debate, it brought tears to my eyes because I lost my younger brother at the age of 53 due to a medical error. Hence, I fully agree that we cannot trust drug companies and international health laws to protect us from unethical, and potentially lethal, medication.
My brother had constant stomach pains and a specialist asked for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Bengaluru, India. The hospital and doctor were renowned, but always a patient is at the mercy of gadgets or drugs. Yes, he went in cheerfully for the test thinking he will be out soon, but he never came back after he went in because he went into a coma within five minutes of the test. The barium level was high and the technician had not done the allergy test. Sadly, my brother died due to this medical error.
I fully agree that since the 1980s in the US, there have been publication biases on the results of clinical trials that could have economic implications on drug companies. This has only led to undocumented side effects, which have actually resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the globe.
These days, medical insurance companies are unreliable along with the medical professionals. Who suffers in the end? Only the innocent people. Yes, medical fields have advanced and saved lives, but extra precautionary measures should be taken by studying and practicing doctors.
From Ms Jennifer Agnes Mascarenhas
Dubai
It’s about profits
Drug companies have been providing people with medicines that have been saving lives and enhancing lifestyles. However, it is the goal of every company to earn revenue and increase savings - and drug companies are no exception to this rule. Sadly, even if it means putting the lives of the millions in jeopardy.
Drug companies do follow legal procedures at the time of inception and do provide credible services, however all drug companies joined together act as a cartel. They decide on the prices of these drugs, how much quantity to produce and in which geographical areas to sell them. At the same time, we do have international health laws, but most of the underdeveloped regions of the world lack basic health facilities that lead to the loss of precious human life. Where the safety of human life is the aim of all drug companies, we can never fully trust their services because after all, they also have to maintain their profit and they will do whatever it takes to make their profits go higher.
From Mr Mohammad Omar Iftikhar
Karachi, Pakistan
Can’t fight it
I would say we cannot depend on the laws or drug companies to protect us from unethical, and potentially lethal, medication. The reason behind it is that once the damage is done to the body in some way or another, it is potentially unrecoverable. One of my family friends got US citizenship and he was asked to take medication with the standard medicines when a person gets citizenship. It cost him his pancreas.
He was a young boy at that time and a perfectly healthy person. Now there has been no compensation for him because it was a standard medication. He is suffering from diabetes since his childhood now. Even if he fought a battle with a drug company, he might have ended up getting compensation, but he is not healthy anymore. Is money more than a healthy life?
Medical drug manufacturers are more into a business oriented mentality, not in social services. If they were socially active, then the life saving drugs won’t be costing so much that a poor person cannot save himself.
From Mr Tarun Agarwal
UAE
Mixed priorities
I do think that pharmaceutical companies want to cure diseases, but I also think that they are focused on more profitable endeavours, rather than public health concerns.
From Ms A. Fatima
UAE
Bypassing laws
We cannot trust international laws regarding medicine. Every country has its own laws regarding medicines to be used against any diseases. International laws are subject to be considered for certain rules, but it cannot apply to all medicines. Health is a major factor for all human beings and there are certain companies who bypass the laws of the country. If the effects include loss of life, I think those companies should be banned.
From Ms Lodhi Azmatullah Khan
Dubai
Not much choice!
This is an extremely debatable and controversial topic. Conspiracy theories are flying around that drug companies deliberately inject human beings with viruses so that they can test futuristic and unapproved medicine on them. We can never blindly trust them, but given their monopolistic nature, what choice do we have?
From Mr Ahad Khalid
UAE
Sealing loopholes
The biased reports published by companies make it difficult for the consumers to rely on health laws to protect them. Moreover, there are many reports that certain drugs that are unapproved and even banned by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) are easily available in developing countries.
Also, the clinical trials themselves are questionable. We, the consumers, are repeatedly ensured of people voluntarily joining these studies. However, there are enough reports exposing the use of humans as nothing more than guinea pigs. Once some individuals develop fatal complications as a result of a new drug trial, they are conveniently discarded from the study with no remuneration to treat their condition or financial palliative measures. The current laws have loopholes that urgently need to be looked into to protect patients and the consumers.
From Ms Fatima Khan
UAE
Trust yourself
Whilst we can come to some judgement based on these standards, I think we are all victims of big-game players whose decisions are based on bigger agendas than mere public health. Hence for day-to-day remedies, people may have to follow their instincts and caution instead of going by the book at all times.
From Mr Niloufer Perera
UAE
We don’t understand
The health sector is one of the most enigmatic components of service industries in any country where a lack of transparency rules the entire spectrum. Right from the research and development, to the manufacturing, prescription by hospitals and down to the pharmacies, where medicines are sold can lack transparency. It doesn’t help that most people have no clue how a drug is prescribed to them and how it is working inside his or her body.
I am now aware of the governing body that controls the operations of drug manufacturing companies worldwide. Many times drug manufacturers, distributors and healthcare professionals in hospitals work with the primary concern of commercial benefits rather than the wellbeing of patients.
It is a well-known fact that many drugs - from the homely aspirin to the most sophisticated prescription medication on the market, comes with side effects. It has often reported that doctors prescribe expensive medicines or drugs that have serious side effects to patients expecting incentives from a particular brand, thus risking the health of their patients. Unless an informed patient starts asking questions about the drugs being prescribed to him, it is rare a doctor telling the patient how a drug works and what would be the consequence. A patient must have every right to know the details of his illness from a doctor, but it is often denied to a patient under the presumption that most patients simply don’t understand.
From Mr V. I. Mohammad Sageer
UAE
Winning the battle
As a common man, we don’t have a choice but to trust. I guess international health laws are very strong at the moment, which ensures protection against unethical and lethal medication. In my opinion, drug companies patent and produce their products only after testing and getting approvals of their produce. Medicine cannot be blamed as they are produced only to cure and a particular medicine that works well for one patient, could be fatal to another.
Internationally, drug companies are allowed to produce only after obtaining a licence and there should be no compromise on issuing licences, by doing so battle is half won. What also needs to be checked are the clinical trials, which should be knowledge based and not based on trial and error.
Education and freedom of speech is the best method of tracking lethal and wrong medication. People should get direct access to international health organisations on reporting of any wrong doings. If we were able to track these, the battle would be won.
From Mr Ramaprasad M. S.
UAE
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