Is it Really the Pharmaceutical Company?

I just read a cute cartoon about doctors prescribing medication to their patients and taking gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. The cartoon was labeled The Hippocrates Oath. I have to wonder whose responsibility it is to take the medication or do the research about the medication the doctor prescribes.

Years ago I may have medicated my son if I didn’t test him myself that his behavior seemed to be based on the amount of sugar he consumed. He was born sick and premature and had a nurse caring for him the first 3 years of his life. She helped monitor his food. I’m not sure that I would have been able to do that myself if I had to. It was time consuming and a lot of extra work. But, he was worth it and he never took any mind altering drugs even though he had bad tempers and behavioral problems. Now, he is a wonderfully well adjusted (so far) teenager.

I can’t say the same for myself. It is easier to take a pill to lower my blood pressure than to exercise. Although, in the last few months I have really thought about getting off my medication, I still make the choice to take pills each day. Many of us know what we have to do to, we just don’t do it. We don’t even ask the doctor about alternatives to the medication.

So, I’m not sure I can blame the pharmaceutical company for the medication I take. We may have to look deeper at ourselves, in many cases.