Bill Moyers Journal Melody Peterson Interview
Whether you watch 24 Hour News Networks or not, it is tough to find good journalism on TV. Bill Moyers stands out unlike any other. He talks about the real issues that need talking about, which 24 Hour News Networks will ignore. 24 Hour News Networks like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC would be stupid to attack and expose one of their biggest advertisers, the pharmaceutical industry.
The previous two articles written on this site, Pharmaceutical Drug Companies Killing Middle America Legally while Robbing You Blind and Pharmaceutical Drug Companies Marketing and Policy Making, were written without prior knowledge of this interview or book. But it just goes to show that our health as a population is at stake and there is a real problem going on.
In this interview with Melody Peterson, we get the low down on an industry that has put profits before our health. She is the author of Our Daily Meds, which is the culmination of four years of work as a New York Times journalist researching the pharmaceutical industry.
(Disclosure: I have not read this book yet. I only just found out about it today, but the interview is well worth watching.)
May 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Great reading. I’m a shop girl and writer/editor/proofreader for a mom and pop natural health business in Florida, and I’m still pretty much a neophyte when it comes to the politics of health care…
I’ve added your website to my blog roll. Keep up the great work!
May 20th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Kudos to Ms. Peterson! I’ve writhed for a few years seeing those RX commercials with all the frighteneing side effects spelled out,fortunately by law. Yet, it’s not appetizing to hear while having dinner and watching TV at the same time.
Yes,the public is being ripped off. Figure the co-pay at the VA comes to as littkle as 5% of retail! Is this because of bulk purchasing? If it can be acquired here,why not allow non-Veterans to buy their drugs in Canada? Best way is to go through the Internet for 20–40% discounts.
As Ms. Peterson reports,the bulk of the Pharmaceutical companies profits go into Marketing over research.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Moyers does speak very sincerely. You can see it in the eyes. Her’s too. And it is astonishing. Especially the part about Disney cartoons being used in pharma ads. I know a friend in NC who needs a heart bypass which would cost $45k, but her health plan doesn’t cover all of it and she’s been postponing it for over 6 months now. But are the drug companies to blame or the health care providers? Who knows?
May 28th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I am familiar with the journalistic stylings of Bill Moyers- I think he does try to go against the grain by getting at issues which often do not get much air time on the larger news outfits, as discussed above.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Great interview!
thanks for posting it
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Why blame it all on the Pharmaceutical companies? I often find it very sad, that the doctors just push Pharmaceuticals. They say take this and you’ll feel better. They treat the sympton, without trying to find the cause. For instance numerous studies prove that psycho analysis works better for a lot of depressed people than the drugs do … But, two things … The doctors push the drugs and our insurance wont cover the pyscho ananlysis …
June 20th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
and following what Cindy says, we - the consumers or patients - follow our doctors orders blindly.
There is a real serious disconnect here - not seeing how our actions (or inactions) contribute to ill health, prevention not being a part of the health care system, lack of creativity and curiosity in doctors, and apathy and denial…in well all of us.
Things are changing …slowly. I have seen my doctors be more receptive to concepts. But i have to ask. They never just tell you- you have to prod.
I love Bill Moyers - go Bill go.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Bill Moyers is great and he usually does like indulging in contraversity issues/problems. And this is a big one. It is all about money plain and simple. The drug companies don’t care about what kind of meds you are taking. It is all about making a buck.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Great interview, interesting points, thanks