BIG PHARMA'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
BY
KATHLEEN DEOUL
(III of XII)

For instance, drugs to treat migraines are at best a 50/50 proposition.

Similarly, incontinence pharmaceuticals only work about 40% of the time.

Even widely used and expensive COX-2 pain relievers like Vioxx and Celebrex are far less effective than the public would be lead to believe.

What is perhaps most shocking about Dr. Roses' admission is that it came as no surprise to other drug industry executives. One industry expert asked to comment on Dr. Roses' claim said "Roses is a smart guy and what he is saying will surprise the public, but not his colleagues."

As it turns out, the fact that drugs do not work is one of Big Pharma's best kept dirty little secrets.

But, what about doctors? Don't they know whether or not the drugs they are prescribing are effective?

The short answer is no.

In this era of managed care and 7 minute time limits on patient visits, few doctors take the time to really research the drugs they prescribe. Instead, they rely on the handouts dutifully delivered by the "detail" men and women - the fancy name for salespersons used by Big Pharma - to assess the efficacy of new prescription items.