Hey "Big Pharma"

There's been a movement over relatively recent years, to reject mainstream medicine, and substitute with "alternative medicine."

The alternative's become so popular that much of it is covered by health insurance nowadays.  In fact, the last time the cost of my health insurance went up, I looked at what my cover included, and went in to the storefront.  I asked if there was perhaps a cheaper option that didn't cover all of the "alternative" treatments.  Their answer, such a cover doesn't exist.

I am not going to use:  naturopathy, acupuncture,  reflexology, kinesiology, Chinese & Western herbalism, shiatsu, aromatherapy, homeopathy, Bowen therapy, Alexander technique and Feldenkrais, but I'm covered for all of them. All of those are included in a basic extras cover - the one I need if I want cover for the dentist, optometrist, and physiotherapist.

As all of the "alternative" treatments have become more popular, it has also become quite fashionable to complain about and suspect the motives of "Big Pharma".  (This despite the fact that prescription medication is subject to far more stringent government controls than the "alternative medicines", which can often also be multi-million dollar businesses.)

I understand - "Big Pharma" is a set of  corporations just like "Big Electronics" or "Big Cars" or "Big Airlines" or  "Big Supermarkets" or even "Big Herbal Medicine." Big corporations exist to make money, and don't have any real feeling for ordinary people. But do you know what? All businesses, big or small, exist to make money.

So let me be the person to come out in favour of "Big Pharma" along with the rest of evidence-based medicine.  Thanks to pharmaceutical companies, my doctors, medical researchers and my local pharmacist, I am alive and my symptoms are mostly quite well controlled.

Thank you: thank you pharmaceutical companies, thank you doctors, thank you pharmacists, and thank you medical researchers. May God bless you all, and may you all continue to help keep lupus under control.

As for "Big Health Insurance"?  I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'd be better served by parting ways with them, and just trusting the government won't destroy Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

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