Our Daily Meds

If I hear disturbing things bit by bit over time, I may develop a subconcious awareness to a problem, yet lack the urge to really act much on it. Sometimes it takes a concise collection of information to wake me up and that is why I enjoy visiting the Houston Public Library's website (someone else can go throw their money at Borders).

Of course, one has to have a source of suggestions when it comes to what is worth reading. I love the nature of the Cat Clinic in that I have picked up many suggestions from clients during examinations. Other times a review in the NY Times Book Review will get me, and if Bill Moyers liked it, well... (I may not sit around on Friday nights to watch him immediately, but he has earned a season pass from the DVR).

So Bill Moyers spent some time interviewing Melody Peterson about her book Our Daily Meds and off I was to the HPL website. Sure enough they have it ready for me by the next week. This book should be essential reading for anyone who has an interest in either their own or a loved ones health...actually, this book simply needs to be read BY EVERYONE. Essentially, the author was assigned by the New York Times to go out and develop stories about all the wonderful new drugs hitting the market and how these drugs were enhancing our lives. While it's not all gloom and doom (there are certainly a ton of drugs new to the market over the past decade that really do benefit my patients), there is a ton of disturbing things going on within the pharmaceutical companies that is having far reaching effects. This book has gotten me to wonder about what some of the advertising has driven a few of my friends to do, and helped explain one of the reasons Texas' state university tuitions have been skyrocketing. Most likely, you've read it all before, but Melody Peterson's text helps to bring a lot of the information together so the reader can have a better grasp on the problem. Most notably, whereas many authors seem content to make us upset and not give us suggestions on how to act, this one doesn't shy away and I would hope that as more citizens pick up this book, we'll be able to drive a positive change that puts patients back before profits.