When one looks at television, a newspaper or a magazine it is impossible not to be inundated with ads for various prescription drug medications. This was not always the case. In fact, not until 1997, when the FDA issued its guidelines for direct to consumer advertising, did this massive pharmaceutical advertising expenditure begin.

It might interest some to know that only 2 countries in the world allow our brand of direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs: the United State and New Zealand.

The amounts of money involved are staggering. A study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2006 found that for every dollar a drug company spent on advertising, it earned $4 in additional sales. Doesn’t sound like much, does it?

But the real numbers put the impact in prospective. In 1999, just two years after the FDA permitted direct to consumer advertising in its current form, Pfizer spent 55 million advertising it’s cholesterol lowering drug, Lipitor. Sales of Lipitor jumped 56% that year to almost $2.6 billion.

As advertising spending went up, the amount of control exercised by the FDA fell. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the FDA sent 142 violations letters to pharmaceutical companies in 1997. By 2006 the FDA sent only 21 violation letters.

As revenues from advertising grew, pharmaceutical companies found new ways to entice consumers to buy their brand. Celebrity advertising was born. Pfizer ran the now infamous commercials featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik promoting Lipitor “as a doctor and a father.” As it turned out, Dr. Jarvik was not a licensed medical doctor despite his being the inventor of the artificial heart. Dr. Jarvik did have a medical degree from the University of Utah but after earning a medical degree, physicians must complete a series of tests to earn certification to practice medicine.

Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, launched an investigation into the misleading effect of the ads on consumers which had been approved by the FDA.

In February 2008 Pfizer agreed to withdraw the Lipitor advertising and promotions featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik. Rep. Dingell stated that “Pfizer’s decision was a wise one, and I am pleased our investigation prompted the removal of Lipitor ads featuring Dr. Jarvik. We trust that Pfizer is sincere in its commitment to ‘greater clarity’ in its advertising. My colleagues and I look forward to meeting with Pfizer’s management team to discuss their plans related to direct-to-consumer advertising.”

The FDA maintains that it continues to oversee direct to consumer advertising by drug companies to insure that ads are truthful balanced and accurate.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. This trade and lobbying group takes the official position that the purpose of direct to consumer marketing is to raise patient awareness of diseases and treatments that might be available to treat them. Their studies show that direct to consumer advertising brings patients into their doctors’ offices and starts important doctor-patient conversations about health that might otherwise take place.

The drug industry is mounting major lobbying campaigns to have direct to consumer marketing allowed in Europe and Canada. The Health Action International (HAI-Europe), in December 2001 set forth their reasoning for continuing to ban direct advertising to consumers of prescription drugs. Given the current debate in the United States over health care reform some of their rationale is quite relevant.

The HAI-Europe gave 4 reasons for continuing the ban on direct to consumer advertising.

1.Direct to consumer advertising drives up prescription drugs costs, threatening the sustainability of national health care services and universal access to health care as a fundamental human right.

2. Direct to consumer advertising fails to inform. It does not provide the impartial, objective information consumers and patients need for informed health care decisions.

3. Direct to consumer advertising compromises public safety. It can lead to rapid widespread exposure to dangerous drugs before risks are fully recognized. Additionally, most new drugs are costlier than existing treatments, but few provide any therapeutic advantage.

4. Direct to consumer advertising promotes the medicalisation of normal life. The most heavily advertised drugs are for long-term use by large target audiences, often for mild conditions and ‘lifestyle’ problems that may not need drug therapy.

The debate will continue but do not look for a change in the advertising practices of U.S. drug companies anytime soon.

The public are now generally aware that antibiotics will only help with bacterial infections. Most chest infections of the upper respiratory system are caused by a virus of which there are over 150 strains.

Although antibiotics were used extensively in the past for a chest infection, they are not normally recommended as they can do more harm than good, as there is now increasing concerns with the side effects of chemical medicine. Studies have shown that antibiotics will not increase the recovery time of an illness in fact, it is known that they can have a detrimental effect on other medication which might have been prescribed, such as Warfarin the blood thinning drug or the contraceptive pill which can make the pill ineffective. Antibiotics are known to disturb the gut flora which affects the healthy populations of bacteria in the body.

The other reason that antibiotics are not now preferred is the knowledge that bacteria have the remarkable ability to mutate becoming resistant to other stronger and ever more sophisticated drugs developed to combat them.

The immune deficiency effect is the concern of modern medicine throughout the world. George Jacoby of the Harvard Medical School, quoted in Laurie Garret’s book, ‘The Coming Plague- Newly Emerging Diseases of the World out of Balance’, Penguin Books-”Bugs are always figuring ways to get around the antibiotics we throw at them, they adapt and come roaring back again”, no wonder, bacteria were around long before man inherited the earth and will always find around the antibiotic effect, and chest infections antibiotics in particular.

Chest infection antibiotics will normally only be considered if you are aged and have a temperature over 38 (100F), or any other condition such as Asthma or a long term condition of the lungs, you are a smoker with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and if your immune system is compromised as a result of Cancer treatment chemotherapy, or you have diabetes or pleurisy which is the inflammation of the lining of the lungs.

PNEUMONIA

The greatest benefit of antibiotics seemed to be for reducing the risk of pneumonia after a chest infection, particularly in the elderly. This conclusion was as a result of research by I. Peterson and colleagues of The Centre for Infectious Disease and Epidemiology, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College, London. They found that the greatest benefit of administering antibiotics for pneumonia reduced the risk after a chest infection. The size of this risk increased with the age of the patients. In the over 65 groups, 403 patients per 1000 were at risk of pneumonia, if a chest infection was untreated .This was reduced to 146 per 1000 if treated with antibiotics. Just 39 patients over 65 years would need to be treated with antibiotics to prevent one case of pneumonia compared to 119 patients between the ages of 1 and 64 year.

Their studies taken from records between 1991 and 2001 concluded that antibiotics should only be prescribed in more serious cases of chest infections.

PREVENTION

Your immune system will be stronger and you will be better able to prevent viral and bacterial infections if you lead a healthier lifestyle!

Millions of people have sinus problems such as nasal congestion and respiratory ailments. There is a lot of pollution and chemicals in the air and environment. Alternative health care practitioners recommend doing a daily nasal cleansing using a saline solution. The process is called Neti and is done using a Neti Pot to safely cleanse the nasal passages.

This ritual is used by people who practice Yoga. In many cultures Neti is purification techniques performed prior to practicing Yoga. The practice of Neti originated thousands of years ago in India. Practicing Neti daily helps to clean your nasal passages and helps your body to fight allergies and chronic sinusitis.

There is now a disposable Neti Pot called SinusAide. It is a nasal wash and rinsing solution. It is like a Neti Pot but easier to use because the solution is pre-mixed in a single use container. The solution consists of sodium chloride, which is salt, sodium bicarbonate, which is baking soda, and potassium sorbate in purified water.

The formula comes from what doctors recommend as a natural remedy for patients who suffer from nasal and sinus congestion. Some recipes call for kosher salt and boiling water before using. Other recipes require mixing dry ingredients in packets with luke warm water from the faucet. These solutions are used in Neti pots, squeeze bottles and bulb syringes which all need to be cleaned after each use. SinusAide is already premixed and in a disposable container. There is no mixing or cleaning up afterwards.

This is a very convenient and portable nasal irrigation system that cleans and moisturizes nasal passages. There are many benefits to using SinusAide. It provides a simple and easy way to cleanse your sinuses. There are no lengthy and complicated directions to follow.

You don’t need to mix together any dry ingredients or boil water. Cross contamination is prevented because of the single use containers. They are very compact and portable sinus relief that will fit in a pocket, purse, glove box or suitcase.

It is non aerosol, non flammable and disposable and the containers are recyclable. There is nothing that has to be cleaned or sterilized afterward. This is a drug free solution that doesn’t contain the chemicals found in household iodized salt.

SinusAide is very simple to use. You twist off the top of the container. You then tilt your head back and to one side. Squeeze half of the solution into one nostril. You then repeat the process in the other nostril. Now you discard the top and empty container and you are done! It is that easy and simple to do.

SinusAide is available online and also available at select stores and pharmacies. SinusAide does not require a prescription, but it may be behind the pharmacy counter. If you don’t see in on the shelf ask your pharmacist. It is available at select Kroger and Winn-Dixie location and also at Harmony Pharmacy & Health Center airport locations. SinusAide is the perfect convenient, drug-free sinus relief aid.