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Are you serious?So in addition to spending most of their lives trying to make people better, they have to contend with the fact that the lot of you think they are scumbags cause the tools they use aren't 100% perfect?One man can make an evil decision. But you essentially postulate that everyone in the healthcare business is out to get your money. And you are far from being the only one, as Acupuncture demonstrated earlier. At the very least, you are deeply misguided. More likely, you are simply taking your frustration with inability to live forever, mixing it with jealousy, and projecting it on others.
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I understand that you do not have a degree in business or economics, so I'll try my best to explain since this information might be outside of your field of expertise. Companies such as Pfizer inc, and Bristol-Myers Squibb are publicly traded corporations on the NYSE. Essentially they are "owned" (and therefore must answer to) their shareholders. In doing so, one thing and one thing only is of great importance when posting quarterly reports...profit. Much like Apple or GM, these companies sell goods or products that consumers use. As it stands, some of the goods sold by Pfizer (and similar companies) are patented pharmaceuticals that are given to cancer patients. They own the patent, therefore they have a financial incentive in treating those that have cancer.
And that's perfectly fine. We live in a capitalistic society that is driven by big money. I understand it's probably hard to absorb the thought of the incredible work that goes on in a laboratory is ultimately making someone else out there billions of dollars. But this is where it gets complicated. It's already known that
cancer doctors profit from chemotherapy drugs. Now extrapolate that by a thousand to understand the impact of how these drugs effect big-pharma's bottom line. If newer, better treatments are on the horizon, these companies have the ability to
lobby anyone and everyone they feel necessary to protect and continue the use of their patented product. People easily forget that the product sold has little to do with the ultimate purpose of being a globally traded company, and for those that are following, that would be profit. It's hard to imagine another company that develops and patents a better treatment than chemotherapy and radiation wouldn't be met with extreme opposition, especially if a company stands to lose billions of dollars as a result. In essence there is no difference between Bristol-Myers and Apple (lawsuits and all). They want to make as much money as possible to please their shareholders.
Here's a bit of anecdotal evidence you will probably not appreciate. I have supplied doctors and hospitals with medical equipment for years. Just like every product in existence, there are varying levels of quality depending on where these items are manufactured. Mostly everything is made in China, some of it great, most of it horrible. Fortunately, I know what works and for the best price. However, there are a few particular products that I feel every doctor, nurse, or surgeon should use. I have even gone as far as presenting statistical data as to why devices with a safety mechanism prevent accidental injections and present an overall safer area in surgery rooms. Even though the up-charge is quite minimal, the overall price was generally the only thing that mattered, resulting in a more dangerous environment for patients and doctors when the purchasing department simply went with the cheaper, less-safe alternative. While I thoroughly stand by convictions that there are a large number of men and women in the medical field performing miracles on a daily basis, one must realize they are but a small cog in an enormous machine. And you'd have to be a naive little boy to denounce the fact that those pulling the strings at the very top are only concerned with non other than the all mighty dollar. The only difference is that this corporate profit could be at the expense of someone else's health instead of simply resulting in a crappier car or having a slower iPhone.
