I don’t believe any nation — even one as great as the United States — should ever rest on its laurels. For this reason, I shout from the rooftops about the changes that I believe we need to make as a country, particularly when it comes improving our healthcare system. I believe that is the duty of every citizen.

If you read this blog regularly, you know my story. I am suspicious of the motives and actions of large pharmaceutical companies. I am concerned that our government is not doing enough to protect us from corporate influence that leads to unsafe drugs being OKed by the government, skyrocketing prices for brand-name medications, and a lack of competition among drug companies both domestically and internationally. I believe these are critical problems that must be addressed.

But as I sit here in my office looking out on a beautiful Texas afternoon, I’m reminded that it’s so important to remember our blessings as a society. I’m reminded, specifically, how important it is to acknowledge the advancements of science and medicine — including, yes, those of pharmaceutical companies — that have made life easier (and longer) than it was for previous generations.

In fact, if you factor in all the risks we’ve faced over the years, American families probably live in the safest period in our history.

Violent crime is low — much lower than it was in the ’70s, for example. Infant mortality is low, people are living longer, and though we certainly need to fix our healthcare system to build upon these gains, it’s important to acknowledge them.

As an advice column I read in the Washington Post today tells a grandmother frustrated with her daughter-in-law’s constant worrying:

You seldom see any small, new headstones in the cemetery anymore, because most children are healthy enough to grow up and grow old. However, if you told your daughter-in-law that antibiotics and vaccines had doubled life expectancy in the past 100 years, she would still be anxious.

Being anxious doesn’t help anybody. Be grateful. And be determined to seek the changes that will ensure continued progress.

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The government’s investigation into Cephalon Inc.’s illegal marketing practices that culminated in today’s $425,000,000 settlement and guilty plea by the pharmaceutical company began in January 2003 with a Cephalon sales representative in Ohio.

The sales representative, Bruce Boise, refused to follow company-ordered sales strategies to convince doctors to prescribe Cephalon’s Actiq, Gabitril and Provigil drugs for unapproved (”off-label’) uses because he was worried the sales practices were illegal and the “off-label” uses were dangerous for patients.

Boise was so concerned about Cephalon’s off-label marketing that he contacted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inform them of what the company was doing and then agreed to wear a wire to a company sales conference to help the government gather evidence.

The decision to report Cephalon to the FDA cost Boise his job and future employment in the pharmaceutical industry. But his information helped end Cephalon’s illegal marketing practices that put patients at risk and led to today’s settlement.

The line that really hit me — perhaps because I’m relatively unfamiliar with corporate culture, having spent my life as an entrepreneur — is that Boise’s actions cost him the opportunity for “future employment in the pharmaceutical industry.”

Maybe I’m crazy, but if we lived in a world where the pharmaceutical giants were good corporate citizens aspiring to do things on the up and up, wouldn’t Bruce Boise be exactly the kind of guy they would want to hire?

I guess not. I’m reminded of a famous quotation by somebody or other: “Capitalism is the belief that the wickedest of men will do the wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”

I tell you what, though, Bruce. If I had a job for you here, I’d offer it to you in a heartbeat.

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In the face of Congress’ apparent bumbling of the $700 billion financial bailout package, I’m glad to know that something useful can still emerge from the lawmaking process.

H.R. 6353 is named for Ryan Haight (pictured), who died of an overdose of Vicodin after ordering the pills over the Internet without a prescription. (You can read more about Ryan here.)

You can read the full text of the legislation here; here’s a summary of its provisions:

• Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit the delivery, distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription. Exempts telemedicine practitioners.
• Defines “valid prescription” as a prescription that is issued for a legitimate purpose by a practitioner who has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient.
• Adds definitions to the Controlled Substances Act relating to online pharmacies and the issuance of prescriptions over the Internet.
  Imposes registration and reporting requirements on online pharmacies.

• Authorizes the Attorney General to issue a special registration under this Act for telemedicine practitioners.
• Increases criminal penalties involving controlled substances in Schedules II, IV, and V of the Controlled Substances Act.
• Authorizes states to apply for injunctions or obtain damages and other civil remedies against online pharmacies that are deemed a threat to state residents.

Keep in mind that licensed Canadian pharmacies do not ship controlled substances into the U.S., so this act applies to rogue pharmacies, both in the U.S. and worldwide. We applaud the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act — because the more that is done to protect Americans against rogue pharmacies, the more they will look to the many benefits that legitimate online pharmacies have to offer.

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In the face of a relentless disinformation campaign (and lots of campaign donations) by the pharmaceutical industry and its front groups over the past several months, both Barack Obama and John McCain are showing strong signs of backing down — in unison — from their pledges to legalize Canadian drug reimportation if they are elected.

Call them the Flying Wallendas of Flip-Flops. For guys who claim to be about change — with McCain having the nerve to boast that he “took on the drug industry” in his campaign ads — they are beginning to spew the same old song and dance when it comes to prescription drug policy. I suppose that’s because Big Pharma dollars aren’t red or blue; they’re green.

Reports Reuters, which spoke to an adviser for each candidate:

Neither adviser said their candidate had abandoned reimportation, but had realized it would be more difficult … Groups representing brand-name and generic drugmakers, including GPhA, oppose reimportation, saying it could allow more unsafe products into the country.

So, why the impending flip-flop?

Big Pharma has been working overtime to scare people into thinking Canadian drugs aren’t safe. What is their argument in making this charge?

That the FDA is incompetent to do its current job — and certainly can’t be expected to properly regulate drugs coming in from foreign countries.

After the massive FDA failures of the past couple of years, it’s hard to argue that the FDA has its act together. But let’s take a step back for a moment.

The FDA was one of America’s most trusted and respected regulatory agencies in the ’70s, as public opinion polls at that time made clear. Then, first in the ’80s and then again in this decade, politicians favoring deregulation (and funded by the pharmaceutical industry) slashed the FDA’s staff, budget and power. By the end of Bush’s first term, the agency was a shell of its former self.

And now we wonder why we’re having problems with drugs coming in from China?

If you are naive enough to believe that Big Pharma is actually concerned about the safety of the public (rather than protecting its profits) when it opposes Canadian drug reimportation, ask yourself this question: Is Big Pharma in favor of the federal government rebuilding a strong — and independent — FDA?

The answer is no. It’s not. It just wants to scare the public away from Canadian drugs. When Obama and McCain complete their flip-flops, Big Pharma will have won. And then it’s back to business as usual.

I’m sorry if this sounds cynical — but this stuff has been happening too long to sugar-coat. We’ve been in the grip of the pharmaceutical industry for far, far too long.

Ironically, The Wall Street Journal is now wondering if there is still even demand for Canadian drugs among U.S. consumers, given the discontinuation of some state and municipal reimportation programs for lack of interest.

The reality is, there’s very strong public demand for Canadian drugs — which persists in the face even of Big Pharma’s most shameful scare tactics. Programs like the one the Journal cites in Boston failed because consumers don’t need the government involved in this way; they can purchase drugs from Canada directly using tools like PharmacyChecker and eDrugSearch.com to verify a pharmacy’s licensing and accreditations.

And that’s what they do. It’s also what they’ll continue to do in 2009 and beyond, in either an Obama or McCain administration.

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Freebies 4 Mom reports on Publix and Meijer offering free antibiotics:

“Free prescription drugs? Did you know that some supermarket/drugstore chains have started offering this free public service recently?

‘Meijer Stores are now offering free prenatal vitamins (similar to free antibiotic programs)! I thought this might be a good freebie to pass along to your readers-I know I’m going to hit it up! Love your website.’ -Allison”

Amy of MomAdvice.com posts on how she got by without prescription drug coverage by trying alternative remedies and using a variety of methods to save money on her prescriptions.”

Great stuff.

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