Analysis Of Big Pharma By David Badcott

In David Badcott’s position paper “Big Pharma: A Former Insider’s View,” Badcott makes the assumption that the future of healthcare will predominately focus on the administration pharmaceutical drugs, which is not true because drugs can cause complications in individuals and thus require medical attention from healthcare practitioners. Badcott implies that the services of healthcare professionals will become obsolete. This implication is not true because there are healthcare services that do not primarily focus on treatment with medicinal drugs. Although pharmaceutical drugs play a huge role in the current healthcare industry, the role of the medical practitioner is as equally important. Badcott states the effectiveness of newer pharmaceutical drugs allow for the reduction of “total health expenditures by lowering the need for other types of medical services” (Badcott 252). This statement is true for common illnesses because by simply taking medications purchased from the local market, an individual can avoid hospitalization. However, these drugs can often cause unforeseen complications in individuals that require the attention of a physician. My mother took aspirin, a common drug, to alleviate her headache and the complications required her to be taken to the emergency room, where the medical practitioners found that she had an allergy to aspirin. For specific treatments, medical practitioners must pay even more attention to how the treatment responses to an individual. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs that specialize in preventing the spread of cancer cells (American Cancer Society). Due to the various methods of chemotherapy treatment, the oncologist (cancer specialist) must consider the medical history of a patient. If the patient has a history of heart disease, then the medical professional must avoid drug treatments that can cause complications in heart. Furthermore, chemotherapy can cause an increased susceptibility to illnesses due to a weakening of the immune system (WebMD). It is extremely important that the practitioner focuses on the response to a drug. Pharmaceutical drugs are not “100% effective and free from “side effects”” (Badcott 251). A drug does not consider the medical history of an individual. Therefore, the healthcare industry will continue to focus equally on the administration of drugs and the supervision of medical professionals to ensure safety and effectiveness. Rehabilitation therapy is a branch of medical services that does not focus on treating patients with drugs. Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who work to improve the wellbeing of an individual through exercise and movement (American Physical Therapy Association). There are individuals with ailments that cannot be completely healed through drug treatment. I have shadowed multiple physical therapists who work with individuals that cannot fully heal just through drug treatment. Erin, a physical therapist, has worked with an individual with Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease that progressively reduces movement (Parkinson’s Disease Foundation). There is no drug that can cure Parkinson’s Disease, and thus requires physical therapists such as Erin to prescribe exercises and help with movement of the body. Brent is a physical therapist that has worked with stroke survivors, …show more content…
However, drugs alone are not responsible for today’s healthcare system. Teams of medical professionals cooperate together in order to improve the wellbeing of individuals. Badcott is incorrect in saying that drugs will be the future of healthcare. There are many other equally important medical services in healthcare that allow for the industry to