[elthor89]

It’s good that J&J are being fined for false advertising.

What I do not feel is completely justified in this story is that the blame is put solely on the pharmaceutical.

Yes they played their part. They most likely knew how addicting their drug is from day 1 during their clinical trials.

Why is direct marketing to consumers in the USA even allowed?

Why are pharmaceutical companies still allowed to wine and dine doctors to persuade them to prescribe their drugs?

What about the other players?

Why do doctors even prescribe these heavy drugs, despite knowing that there are serious addictions risks? I doubt doctors would prescribe heroin if someone has pain.

Why do patients insist on getting the heavy drugs to numb pain instead of taking or accepting doctors advice and take a less strong pain killer and accept some pain.

I think we should have a good look at how the healthcare system is organized and scrutinize all players.

[JanSt]

American experience with painkillers in Germany after surgery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTMRrJrM7Y&t=7m31s

[vanderZwan]

Top comment on that video sums things up really well:

> Yeah, pain has a purpose. It stops you from doing stuff your body isn't ready yet. So making it bearable, but still tangibly is making you able to do stuff (like this video), but stops you from running down the road and injuring yourself again / lengthening the time to recovery. (Yeah, I'm a fan of that approach)

Also, this isn't just how it works in Germany - this applies to most non-US countries I'd say.

[decoyworker]

Insightful and true.

In America it's practically taboo to tell someone they don't need a thing and the tolerance for any discomfort is extremely low.

[Nasrudith]

As it should be in my opinion - admittedly colored by own experiences and phobias. Hospitalization is a leading cause of PTSD. That "discomfort" can leave people pretty traumatized and messed -all because of other's puritan desires.

If you washed someone's wounds in salt water when there were alternatives it would be rightfully regarded as sadism - why the tolerance for unnecessary pain and suffering otherwise?

[decoyworker]

There is a middle ground between proper pain management and handing out scripts of Vicodin for take-home for the slightest reason.

[bashallah]

Because our legislative system allows it and it happens to be the most cost effective way to perpetuate massive increases for shareholders.

No sarcasm and not in agreement personally, yet if I had nine 0’s before the decimal in my bank account I would play the hand the deals me the best, despite what the system needs, as long as it’s within legal means.

If we change the legal means it changes everything you listed as a problem.

[jacobush]

I guess you would also spend a fair chunk on keeping the legal means to your liking... which is also legal. Win-win!

[TheOtherHobbes]

The best ethics money can buy, in an environment in which greed outbids all other ethical considerations.

US corporate morality is utterly broken. It's essentially sociopathy with dividends.