Remission & Recurrence

First Do No Harm

"And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment." Mark 2:25-27

When I read the Scripture above, I used to think that perhaps the physicians this woman had seen were just crooks.  How was it possible to have been seeing "many" physicians for 12 years - exhausting all of her money - and yet not get any better, but to get worse?  Surely the physicians must have been taking advantage of her.

However, dealing with cancer shed new light on this for me.  I can honestly say that I think every physician I saw (and I had never seen so many different doctors in my life) wanted what was best for me; they desired to see me fully recover.  Yet, is it possible that the medical treatments and diagnostic tools they referred for me were doing more harm than good?

Big Bucks, Big Pharma

This documentary pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain.

Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand the ways in which Direct-To-Consumer pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors.

Combined, these industry practices shape how both patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment.

Ultimately, Big Bucks, Big Pharma challenges us to ask important questions about the consequences of relying on a for-profit industry for our health and well-being.