These People Are Calling You Sick

As I resume my book, I find more and more interesting facts inside that are blog worthy. As I have said before, these companies and doctors are broadening the guidelines to make everyone a patient. These two doctors from Vermont, Dr. Lisa Schwartz and Dr. Steve Woloshin, are also concerned about this growing trend. Dr. Schwartz says, "It's an effort to make everybody sick, and the trend is global." Later in the book she also says, "We've scared everyone into this state and drugs offer an easy way that you can do something about it." They both agree that the problem isn't lowering your cholesterol, but it is looking at the bigger picture of health and preventing the things that result from the high cholesterol. The cholesterol is the starting point, they are really trying to prevent heart disease, stroke, and premature death. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Woloshin agree with a majority of modern doctors, that these medications should only be given to patients who have already suffered from some form of the more serious conditions because in those patients, the medications would benefit them the most. They are giving these drugs to people who are not immediately in need of them.


As said in the video, muscle pain or weakness can become a rare but serious side effect. That is the problem with these drugs. Cholesterol lowering medications, or statins as they are called in medical terms, can be harmful for people who have not had serious problems before such as a heart attack or stroke. In the book, it talks about how there is not much long term research done. In a recent review of clinical trials of the statins, only a third of all the trials were fully reported. Most didn't mention any side effect and omitted anything wrong with the drug or even the possible side effects. The two main severe, but rare, side effects of these drugs area fatal muscle wasting condition called rhabdomyolysis and liver damage. Patients who are not in immediately need of these medications are taking a risk of developing new health problems they never had before the drug was taken. The medication Baycol made by Bayer has had 11,000 lawsuit cases against them for these same sever side effects. Bayer claims they marketed the medication responsibly but they are handling each law decision case by case.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and assess the safety and effectiveness of medications. They are a respected government company that is relied on by all Americans for their decisions about the drugs that come out on the market. During the recent years though, more than half the funding for the FDA comes directly from the pharmaceutical industry. Some of these people's salaries are dependant on the funding. These pharmaceutical giants are dominating the drug world, the patients who buy the products they produce, and even government organizations that consider and review our safety. While I was reading through that paragraph about the FDA, it makes me question the government progam and I wonder if there is any bias there when passing drugs through inspection. No matter who you consider to have knowledge of medications whether is your doctor of the FDA source, they all seem to be connected and may be biased toward these drug companies that are giving so much money back to the source.

The chapter ends in a well written paragraph that I thought was good enough to share.

"Perhaps the biggest obstacle to a more rational debate about cholesterol,
heart disease, or any other health problem, is the simple fact that too many of
the people we turn to for advice on such matters-our doctors-are tied to the
makers of drugs. Sometimes those ties involve serveral hundred thousand dollars
a year, sometimes just a few warm doughnuts."

Natural Approach

As I do still desire to be a pharmacist, I currently work in a very different place. I work for two chiropractors who believe in all natural health. I took a small break from the book I'm reading simply because a lot of the scandals going on throughout the drug world are exactly why my bosses stay away from it. So, I thought I would take a moment to explain a little about the natural side of healing from sickness with no need for prescription drugs.

Dr. Cretsinger and Dr. Cuhel both believe in natural health. They believe the body can heal itself from any disease or sickness and will repair itself back to health. It is shown everywhere throughout the office. Even our white board says, "Health is a natural phenomenon. No prescriptions needed." I've heard many times that the body has powers that not everyone knows about. They deal with patients who are struggling with a variety of issues such as autism, frequent headaches, sinus problems, digestion troubles, joint stiffness, back pain, and anything else that they might be able to help you with. As I have been told, as we take medications and get vaccinated we are actually hurting our bodies and not letting them run at their full potential. I do get adjusted from these doctors and do believe the body can heal itself, in some cases. Both the drug companies and these natural chiropractors are on the opposite side of the battle, while one tries to push as many drugs out as possible the other tries to stay away from any medication no matter what the case.

Some stories are interesting to hear as I sit at the front desk. I have parents share with me about how their children rarely get sick, have had a learning disability and are now functioning normally, and even people who have had serious issues such as seizures and those have stopped altogether. When you hear these experiences of the long time patients, it makes me wonder how that is possible. I grew up knowing the doctor knows all and you take the medication if you are told, it is there to help you. Now working here, it is interesting how just being around these people influence me. Of course I go to the doctor when I am sick in case it is serious, but I no longer believe that medicine cures all.

Don't get me wrong, chiropractors do use pills to help people. They are all organic and allergen free, such as dairy fee and gluten free. These medications are actually natural enzymes that help the body function better. As I have been there, I take probiotics that actually have come out in the main medicine market now to. They are very useful for helping any digestive problem. Other supplements they carry are omega fish oil, vitamin C and D, and many other digestive enzymes that can help a variety of issues. We sell a variety of supplements and they all seem to help, we have had to bad feedback. By taking these organic medicines on a regular basis like you would an antibiotic or prescription, it can help strengthen your immune system also. That is why people who regularly come in and take their nutritional supplements are rarely sick and see a positive change in their health. It seems odd to me how just something that is simply organic can change the outcome of people's health. I do believe sicknesses that are bacterial, like step throat, need medical attention and may require a antibiotic. Recently though, I think if you take health supplements regularly and see a chiropractor that you may be that lucky person that never gets sick or has anything wrong with them. As the doctors would say, the physicians are pushing drugs and not looking at any consequences. Prescription drugs are so normal to us that we never doubt when they are prescribed. It makes me wonder when I look back at all the prescriptions I have taken and all the trips to the pharmacy, were all those really necessary or is it just so they can make money? After hearing the chiropractors and learning the natural approach to the human body, it makes me question further why so many people are dependent on medications. Reading the current book I am, I can see why these companies would cause so much controversy. This may make people think twice about if you need that prescription or not.

The Masters of Manipulation

Look at the prescription anyone is currently on and ask yourself a few simple questions. How did this drug become popular in the market and how did people come up with it? These are questions that some people in the medical field are asking as more and more medical practitioners are getting paid by the vary drug companies they order from. While reading Selling Sickness by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels, these men are uncovering very interesting facts in the medical field that are hidden from the public. They are exploring why these pharmaceutical companies grow so widely in a matter of a few years. Next time you go to the doctor, there may be a prescription that is recommended for you.

Everyone goes to the doctor to get cured from a sickness they think they have, but would if the doctors are actually making you feel more sick then you really are? There has been research done that proves pharmaceutical companies are paying doctors to sell their product. Therefor, the more the doctor prescribes then the more the pharmaceutical company makes. So it just makes me wonder, then whose fault is it for making everyone depend on medication. Is it the doctors fault for prescribing it, or the pharmaceutical companies fault for bribing the doctors?

They first take a look at a problem that is sweeping across America and many other countries. High cholesterol is a very common problem, but now it seems as if they recommend half the adult American population to be on a prescription for it. Companies such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and most of all Lipitor have been booming from the recent concern that high cholesterol can cause many other conditions such as heart attack and stroke. These men who researched for this book collected some very interesting information. During the developing research of high cholesterol, in the early 1990's there were approximately 13 million Americans that could have benefited from medication due to high cholesterol. Due to the broadening of guidelines that consider Americans having high cholesterol, by 2004 they considered over 40 million Americans having high cholesterol. I do understand that there could be other aspects that could raise these rates such as food or exercise, but the drug companies every few years review the guidelines that doctors use to diagnose health problems such as high cholesterol.

The pharmaceutical companies, as some may say, dominate medicine. They have the power to influence doctors, persuade patients, and put out massive amounts of drugs to flow through every pharmacy throughout the world. When you go to a pharmacy and look around through the rows and rows of medicine bottles, there is always some multimillion dollar company behind it. The pharmacists are given the supplies to distribute as needed, and recently the numbers are growing. It would be interesting to see how the number of prescriptions grow from one year to the next. These medical giants have the power to make any sort of drug famous throughout the world just by influence and a little manipulation. They tell doctors all the benefits, show all the good research they have, and finally see who caught on to their presentation. Some research shows that some doctors that innocently attend these conferences become paid speakers themselves for various drug companies. Doctors would be getting their own salary, plus the payment from the drug companies for being an advocate for it. They have nothing to lose by being apart of the massive companies that everyone who needs medication relies on. In the past few years, pharmaceutical companies have grown massively and we are all along for the ride. I plan to read more of this interesting research out of the book and report back on any new ways we are being manipulated and not realizing it. Think twice next time your doctor prescribes something you may not need.

New Technologies

Technology is always changing throughout with world. In the early years of pharmacy, there was no help with the work. They had to count every pill by hand, write every script themselves, make the labels, prepare the vials, dispense the medication, and consult the patient all while serving multiple people. As anyone could imagine, this would not be a very efficient way of working throughout the day. There would most likely be prescriptions not filled for people who would need them immediately. That is why recently in the past few decades, pharmacy technology has become one of the largest growing industries for efficient equipment. Gerald Zlotnik, executive vice president of Medic Discount Drug said, ". "In order to make a living, a pharmacy has to fill 220 to 230 scripts a day. That's a lot, when filling, dealing with third parties and calling doctors. Pharmacists are under constant strain. Technology must free them up. We have to find a way to alleviate the non-essential tasks and get pharmacists out front consulting."

One of the major benefits to an automated machine would be the quantity it can put out. As I have seen in both Walgreens and St. Luke's Hospital, who both have automated output machines, these machines work wonderfully. They are accurate, quick, and prepare the whole prescription for the pharmacists to just check over and deliver. Both the pharmacists and the technicians could be working on multiple prescriptions because this machine prepares some for them. The "robot" as I learned the pharmacists call it, works in an interesting way. It has dozens of cabinets that hold a certain prescription, they usually fill it with the most popular pills that they dispense. When the pharmacists scans the code on the script from the doctor, the robot goes to work. It dispenses the correct number of pills the prescription calls for, dumps them into the vial of the correct size, and runs it down to an output slot where the pharmacist picks it up. Then the pharmacist only has to check the prescription to make sure it's the correct medication, put a sticker label on it, and then the medication is ready for the customer. It is a both simple and efficient way they can output the maximum number of prescriptions daily.

Also, these robots are fixing the one problem pharmacists fear most. They never want to give the wrong prescription to a customer. Facts say that one death per day is caused by a patient ingesting the wrong medication. These robot contribute much high precision rates and are very effective at producing every medication accurately. These machines read numbers, scan labels, and count accurately so that it always fills the exact prescription that is called for. Any pharmacist would agree that these robots are essential for producing all the prescriptions for the day. Humans couldn't put out as many prescriptions and then there would customers that need the medication that can't get it. All this technology has dramatically helped the pharmacy industry and keeps changing to find more efficient and accurate ways to get the maximum number of prescriptions out for the day.

Education Never Ends

Whoever you look at in the medical field, whether it's your pediatrician from birth or an surgeon in the hospital, we all know they have spent long hours in a school system. If not, maybe consider changing who your doctor is. Doctors go to school for years to learn everything there is about the human body, and everything they can about what the environment can do to the body. Even though pharmacists don't go quite as long as doctors, they still have a long road.

Pharmacy courses consists of organic and inorganic chemistry, biology, calculus, rhetoric, and any science classes an individual might take outside of the curriculum. A aspiring pharmacists must take two years of general educations classes, then apply for the College of Pharmacy. When accepted into the specialized school program, there are four more years of study before going into the field on your own. Also you must take two standardized tests before entering the College of Pharmacy and also exiting. From everyone I have heard from in the medical field, it is rigorous coursework but there are always ways of getting through it by studying and getting involved with others in your classes if you ever need help.

After pharmacists go into a pharmacy, lets say they are in there for 10 years after they are out of college, how do they keep up with all the new drugs and changing ways of medicine. As you flip through the TV channels next time, watch for new drugs you have never heard of to be advertised even if they are over the counter. Going into a pharmacy, there must be a lot of work outside of just scanning and distributing medication. Continuing education is crucial for the medical field. As I have researched, they must maintain some level on continuing education within a number of years. They have many options whether it is a online course, classroom course, or seminar. Also there are many different magazines that are offered that can help pharmacists with recent news in the field or any new findings that are being published or set into effect. When I worked in a daycare for a few years, we had the same type of education. We were responsible for finding any classes offered or events that would count towards our continuing education that we had to get done in one year. So in other words, I've already experienced the job of continuing education for a career.

Even though I plan on being in school for a full six years after high school, the continuing education doesn't even amount to half the work I've done throughout my life in schools. I am more than willing to take a couple hour class or seminar if that's all it takes to have the continuing education. I actually think it would be interesting finding out all the new technologies and drugs that are coming out for the future. It will be a field that never stops changing.

Criminal Act

I always have wondered when young people talk about their prescription drug use as a recreational high, where did they come from. You hear these kids that participate in these activities talk about how they bought them, what happened after they took them, and most of them say they would buy them again. In my experience, I know they are readily available and some people take advantage of the people who share their illegal prescription drugs.

As I said earlier, in my job shadow experience all the pharmacists are very careful with all the logging and counting of these "C II's" which are well known and possible substance abuse pills. They are counted, re-counted, written in a book, and then signed with a date and time. That is why I question, where do these come from? Also how are they all so readily available?

The first people I question are the doctors. As I assume, these drugs on the street are excess of legitimately filled prescriptions. So why do these people have so many extra or are not in need of them? The first and only people that control quantity are the doctors. The way society has become, doctors are one of the people we trust most. We go to them with sickness, pain, almost anything life threatening or not. I understand some people need pain medication for extreme circumstances and various other reasons. The doctors prescribe the amount they see fit for the extent and the pain of the injury or situation. They are innocent as long as they file a legal prescription and use their best judgment for the order. The pharmacists don't have much to do with the prescription except to fill it. They can't change or alter the prescription without doctor consent. So it moves on to be sold to the specific person's name who is on that order.

The next people that come up are the patients. They need the prescription that comes up, so we assume. Most of the "C II" prescriptions are needed for behavioral of extreme pain medications, which anyone would think that patient would need every last one of them. That is where the confusion comes in. If the patient needs these pills so badly that a doctor would go ahead and write a prescription, how are they being sold? I know with my experience, getting my wisdom teeth out to be specific, they do give you a few more to hold you over until a refill comes in. I was on pain medication and I did see that after I no longer had any pain, there were still pills left. Which all come back to the doctors. Why was I prescribed more pills then needed?

This is where the streets come in. People longing for money and looking for any way to get it, this is their golden treasure. Advertise to a few friends you have some pills, set a price, and make some fast money on the street. People who are selling these drugs are not worried about the kids health, the effects that could happen, or where the kids will end up. The money is key for anyone who tries to sell these illegal prescriptions on the street.

In my opinion, to stop this illegal use of prescription drugs, the doctors should be more carefully configuring the amount given to people with the risk flagged pills. There are to many close calls and even deaths with kids getting ahold of prescription pills off the street. Thinking and also talking to a pharmacist during my job shadow, this is a frustrating subject even for them because they deal with it also. They have to log and be careful and responsible for everything they do while handling these pills because of these people who sell them. A simple legal prescription, filled by a pharmacist, and taken my the patient become a dangerous substance on the street. Somehow, this can be limited or stopped.

The Facts

Looking into pharmacy, there were quite a few things that attracted me. One was definitely the money, as I had mentioned earlier in a blog post, also the atmosphere of working around people, and the steady hours. I don't personally like those jobs that you never know when you are leaving or how many days a week you will work. Even though pharmacists sometimes work days, nights, or weekends, it is still a steady schedule that you are assigned to work. I personally wouldn't mind working either days or nights. Pharmacists of course work in pharmacies but there are a variety of places they are located such as drug stores, retail stores, privately owned, or in the hospital. Almost everywhere you go to shop for necessities or groceries, if you take a minute to look around there would be a pharmacy.

Pharmacists work hard to get where they are in their careers. Pharmacy requires a lot of study and schooling before getting into the profession. All pharmacists must graduate from a accredited pharmacy school. Luckily for me, the University of Iowa is one of those main schools. They have a College of Pharmacy that you must apply to. Receiving a pharmacy degree takes six years. The first two years are all general education classes and become your undergraduate degree. You also must take a "PCAT" test that qualifies you for the specialized college. That is the score that they mainly look at to see if you are eligible for admission or not. At the beginning of your second year, you apply to the College of Pharmacy. This is the part that is very competitive. The College of Pharmacy only selects a set number of students for the program and all the others are able to apply the next year. I learned all of this through the University of Iowa, they have been very helpful. Hopefully, I will get in within my first year of applying.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2010-2011 pharmacists make anywhere from $92,000 to $123,000 per year. The salary depends on the status of pharmacist you are and how long you have been in the profession. The job outlook for opportunities is very good for the future. This is a growing field and is always looking for new pharmacists to come in to existing large corporations. Employment is expected to grow by 17 percent, and there are already around 270,000 pharmacists in employment. Those numbers seem large, but when I look around at St. Luke's and in the job shadows it doesn't seem exaggerated. Some pharmacists can become specialized such as oncology, nuclear, geriatric, or psychiatric. These require special courses and exams for their narrowed field. I am not very interested in those, I still have my eye on the retail pharmacy. They both make a lot of money, work with people, and have a good job outlook. Pharmacy seems to look like a positive career for me with those facts.

It's Volunteer Time

After deciding to look into a career in pharmacy, I did a few job shadows and researched a bit about what it would be like to work there. I had a feeling there was another way I could get involved, and after talking to a few friends I found it. I decided to volunteer at St. Luke's Hospital in the pharmacy. I applied online, and waited patiently for a reply. The woman called, I went through the interview process, and they asked when and what I wanted to do. I told them that I would like to talk to patients, but I knew what I had to do. I needed to get into the St. Luke's Pharmacy and check out whats going on down in the basement, where it is located. I agreed to volunteering on Thursday evenings.

As I went into St. Luke's like a nervous young adult walking down the long hallways and riding the elevators, I almost felt important like I was a part of the hospital. I went to the lower level and checked in. We got my badge, uniform, and signed some forms. The woman showed me around the lower level and we went into the pharmacy. Everyone was very nice there, they greeted me and showed me the different tasks I could be doing every Thursday when I'm there. I got a tour of the pharmacy, as I thought of every pharmacy I went to, this one was very different from all the rest. They run their machines different, they have a lot more job descriptions for people who work there, and they have very different procedures. As a volunteer, I'm not allowed to touch any of the drugs or do anything with them. After 5:30 after most people leave, I did get some time to do sort of a short job shadow. Chris Flesner is a pharmacist at St. Luke's Hospital, Kennedy senior Emily Flesner's mom, and she has helped me out a lot through this process. Any questions about the career or how she got there I can always ask.

Every Thursday it's the same process. I go in and see who is responsible for telling me what they need done, I sort prescription slips, fill the medicine robot, input privacy notices, and file paperwork. As I do these tasks, I always have my eyes on the pharmacist. Being inside the pharmacy, even though I do small office type jobs, I get the opportunity to watch the job of a pharmacist and ask questions if they have time. I have learned a lot from all the women that work there. I've watched them fill prescriptions, answer phone questions, ship out medication, and solve problems that come up with orders.

St. Luke's had given me a new look into pharmacy. Retail pharmacy, compounding pharmacy, and hospital outpatient pharmacy are all very different. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to experience all of these places. I have learned a lot from all the people I have met, all the questions that have been answered, and all the different jobs I have been able to see. Even volunteering every week at St. Luke's in the pharmacy, I still think being a retail pharmacist is the thing for me. It is the job shadow I liked the most, and I can image myself working there for my career.