When I noticed a URL from The Washington Post today in the list of people who visited my site, I clicked on the referring address.
I found a short summary of the riveting book that sparked my interest in writing my just completed series on prescription drugs. The book is: “Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs” by Melody Petersen.
Luckily, I spotted an announcement after the information about Petersen’s book that Book World Live, a discussion based on the book, would begin in a few minutes.
I quickly submitted two questions and watched the discussion unfold through instant messaging.
I was excited to see one of my questions appear to sum up the discussion:
Olympia, Wash.: After I read about your book in The New York Times, I decided to do a series on prescription drugs for my blog Unlocking The Power of Your Money.
I was stunned by what I found out: increasing injuries and death from prescription drugs; weakening of enforcement by FDA; increasing irresponsibility of the pharmaceutical industry in promoting and advertising; and growing numbers of people taking more and more drugs.
The situation seems out of control. What can consumers do about it?
Petersen answered:
We all need to be extremely careful. After talking to doctors and doing research on this for eight years, I think one of the most important bits of advice is to make sure you don’t take a drug you don’t need. All drugs have risks. When you take a drug you don’t need, you can’t benefit from it, you can only be harmed.
Also, find a good doctor who is fed-up with all the industry’s promotion and wants to do what is right. If you’re sitting in a waiting room and see sales reps bringing lunch for the doctor’s staff, that’s a sign you may want to find another doctor. If you really like your doctor, tell him or her this really bothers you. If they are as good as you think, they will change their ways.
Another participant in the discussion offered this important information:
Reston, Virginia: As director of the National Physicians Alliance, a new multi-specialty medical organization that accepts no money from pharmaceutical companies, I am particularly concerned about industry efforts to package marketing materials as “physician education” and to portray sales representatives as “educators.” The NPA has just launched a campaign encouraging doctors to limit their interactions with the marketers, and our Unbranded Doctor resources are available at http://unbrandeddoctor.org/.
Petersen replied:
This is so wonderful to hear about. The public desperately needs the help of organizations like yours.
For more information on Petersen’s book see my post What boomers need to know about prescription drugs: The problem or read a review in The Washington Post by Shannon Brownlee, senior fellow at the New America Foundation and author of “Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine is Making Us Sicker and Poorer.”
Per your comment on my blog about the new book, “X Saves the World.”
Hey Rita,
Here’s a simple answer to your question: ABSOLUTELY. The last third of the book is brimming with hope (and solutions.) Gordinier utilizes his unreal talent as a journalist to spotlight the Gen Xers who ARE making a difference – one “Edible Estate” (homeowners who grow FOOD in their front yards) or 826 Valencia franchise at a time. The book is oddly uplifting.
If I may excerpt the last page…
“We’re staring down problems – environmental, cultural, spiritual – that could bury everything we love. We’ve got the raw materials to do something about that. We’re equipped. We’re wary enough to see through delusional “movements”; we’re old enough to feel a connection to the past (and yet we’re unsentimental enough not to get all gooey about it); we’re young enough to be wired; we’re snotty enough not to settle for crap; we’re resourceful enough to turn crap into gold; we’re quiet enough to endure the labors on the margins, we’re experienced enough to know that change BEGINS on the margins. Beyond that, we’re all we got. Nobody else is going to do it…”
I register this short passage as an inspirational call to arms. And it’s only one paragraph in a book packed with insight, wisdom and (gasp!)… solutions. Well, models for answers anyways.
What I took from the book, and why I love it so much, is that the country will move forward and it IS moving forward. And with the attention Gordinier pays to the little, local ripples that create bigger waves, this book will only accelerate that momentum.
I hope that answers your question and motivates you to buy this book.
Thanks again for reaching out!
Scott Keneally
Roshamblogger
Hi Scott,
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question about how “X Saves the World” can be helpful for generations Boomer, X, and Y. It’s great to see your enthusiasm for solutions to bring the country forward. I, too, believe in and see local actions occurring that are positive and think they can lead to a more positive nation.
Rita
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Hi msnath,
Thanks for the comment.
I’m working on using coupons more, so I’ll check out your site when I’m doing my research.
What are the best coupons on your site? Food? Gardening? Other?
I tried to find a coupon for Home Depot before a large gardening purchasing, but I couldn’t find one. The customer service staff, however, did give me 10 percent off on materials.
Rita