Dear Doctor,
Last week Pfizer launched a media blitz to reposition their smoking cessation
drug Chantix (varenicline), after a flurry of cases suffering awful side
effects. The Institute for Safe Medical Practices said that the medicine seemed
to be related to “a wide spectrum of injuries, including serious accidents and
falls, potentially lethal cardiac rhythm disturbances, severe skin reactions,
acute myocardial infarction, seizures, diabetes, psychosis, aggression and
suicide. “ Based on information like this, the Federal Aviation Administration
instructed their pilots and air traffic controllers to avoid Chantix, which
caused more reported adverse events than any other drug in the fourth quarter of
2007.
To counter the bad press, Pfizer ran ads in USA Today, The New York Times, The
Wall Street Journal and other major publications, redirecting attention toward
how important it is to get people to quit smoking, and reminding us that their
drug does help a lot of people. Even so, they acknowledged the problem, going as
far as to say “If you … notice agitation, depressed mood, or changes in behavior
… or if you develop suicidal tendencies or actions, stop taking Chantix and call
your doctor.”
This scandalous skirting of the common good is just another symptom of the
distorted perspective being foisted upon the public – and bizarrely, we are so
anesthetized to this way of thinking, that we tend to just default to, “okay,
another drug with weird side effects, hope I don’t need to take it, but if I do
I hope I won’t be one of those unlucky ones to get the really bad side effects.”
What? I suppose in the direst of circumstances, if you have to opt for a
treatment approach that has risk, you weigh the risks. But there are other ways
to quit smoking than this dangerous chemical – how it is possible that this
company is allowed to capitalize on the death and maiming of our citizens?
I’m fed up – I’m sick and tired of such travesties being perpetrated. But the
cultural trance is deep, and Big Pharma and its agents continue to reinforce
their position in communications like these. We’re expected to accept suicides,
seizures and heart attacks, like they’re no big deal because they don’t happen
that often. If a restaurant served food that caused anything like that, they’d
be closed in a day. If a typical company sold products that created such
horrible damage, they’d be shut down instantly. But the drug cartel rolls on,
peddling their wares to a comfortably numb clientele, only now beginning to wake
up – but if you’re like me, you want to support and accelerate that awakening.
Better living through better chemistry in this regard has failed – we have to
educate our patients, not only about the specific medications that may carry
such consequences, but to shift their philosophy toward a more natural way to
address their issues. There is a right time for medical intervention – but the
boundary has been moved too far, and we have to take a stand, through health and
wellness leadership, in changing that balance so it works better for our
patients and reduces their jeopardy.
Step up and share your truth with your patients – you will find them to be more
responsive than you might think. They are hungry for better answers, and
intuitively they know they’ve been misled, but don’t know where to turn. Help
them gather good information, so they can make wiser decisions. They need you –
your input makes a difference, so please do your part.
Dr. Dennis Perman, for The Masters Circle
PS Our next ground-breaking event is a co-venture with Life University,
including a full day with Guy Riekeman – for info or to register, please call
800-451-4514, or go to
www.themasterscircle.com.
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