Does the animosity toward drug companies bother anyone else?

[Liberal Veteran]

I am not talking about the usual "they gouge us" complaints which I can certainly respect and understand, but lately, in other forums here there seems to be a pervasive hatred of all things pharmaceutical. And certainly I am not talking about this particular forum in DU.

It ranges from sheer distrust of pharmaceutical companies to outright tinfoil hat theories about how evil pharmaceutical companies are and how they are just in business to make us all sick and stay sick.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I bounce between anger and sadness that what many people are saying is how much better the world would be without pharmaceutical companies, because I am one of those people who owe my life to pharmaceuticals.

I lived through the 80's and most of the 90's watching my friends drop like flies from HIV and I have real appreciation for the people who worked hours on end and those who volunteered to participate in clinical trials to create real treatments that have turned my illness from a death sentence into at least a semi-manageable chronic condition. 15 years ago, an AIDS diagnosis was generally met with a "get your affairs in order and enjoy your last few months on disability". Now people with HIV are living and thriving years after an AIDS diagnosis and it's those same pharmaceutical companies that people call evil that we can thank for that.

The anger and sadness comes from knowing that some of those anti-pharmaceutical sentiments expressed are really saying "I don't really care about the hundreds of millions of people who would be dead if not for pharmaceuticals. I care more about validating my own mistrust and hatred for pharmaceutical companies than looking at how many lives have been saved."

I just don't understand such extremism. I really do understand wanting to make a company for pay for malfeasance, but lately it goes so much further than that and it bothers me.

[William769]

1. I know how you feel, thay have saved my live alos.

I would also add thay have made my life easier with how much meds I have to take.

[pinto]

2. I agree with your statement:

I just don't understand such extremism. I really do understand wanting to make a company for pay for malfeasance, but lately it goes so much further than that and it bothers me.