Big Pharma's Latest Attempt to Restrict Your Right to Choose

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has petitioned the FDA to prohibit compounding pharmacies from providing natural, bio-identical hormones. (Compounding pharmacies are regulated by the states and create custom medications for patients.)

Wyeth charges that these pharmacies are "trying to dupe" unsuspecting patients, and that bio-identical hormones "endanger public health." These charges are groundless. First, compounding pharmacies only dispense hormones with a doctor's prescription. So how is the pharmacy trying to "dupe" the public by filling a doctor's order? Also, when prescribed properly, bio-identical hormones are highly effective and have a low incidence of adverse effects.

So what else might be behind this initiative? Here's a clue: Bio-identical hormones compete with the synthetic hormones manufactured by Wyeth. And the evidence suggests that it is Wyeth's drugs that "endanger public health."

In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a long-term national study, demonstrated that Wyeth's fake hormones (Premarin and Prempro) cause significant increases in breast cancer, blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Since then, sales of these products have declined by 68%, equating to over a billion dollars in lost revenue. To stem their losses, Wyeth has petitioned the FDA to restrict access to natural alternatives, thus eliminating the competition. And if their petition is successful, women may lose the right to choose between a safe natural therapy and a proven synthetic menace. ...

- Jon Herring
______________________________
Word to the Wise: Fungible

"Fungible" (FUN-juh-bul) is another word for "interchangeable." It is derived from the Latin "fungi" ("to perform [in place of]").

Example (as used by Eugene Ludwig in a Forbes interview): "People think this tax is for Social Security. But tax monies are really fungible. They get raided all the time."
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1657, 02-20-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.