Random Drug Company Commentary...

[caraig]

Helen Arellanes of Los Angeles was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in September 2007 and later left her job to go on disability. She takes five medications for pain, including Lyrica and Cymbalta.

"I call it my fibromyalgia fog, because I'm so medicated I go through the day feeling like I'm not really there," Arellanes said. "But if for some reason I miss a dose of medication, I'm in so much pain."

A single mother of three, Arellanes sometimes struggles to afford all her medications. She said she is grateful that a local Pfizer sales representative occasionally gives her free samples of Lyrica "to carry me through the month."

This was in this article which discusses how drug companies might be trying to push treatments for a not-quite-real illness called fibromalygia.

On the one hand, it's good to know that a rep for even a company like Pfizer can help out the folks who are struggling. On the other hand, this sounds creepily like what a street dealer would be doing.

I'm all for letting drug companies make a profit on life-saving and quality-of-life-enabling medicine, but sometimes the companies just strike me as being far more predatory than we should be allowing in society. I dunno, maybe that's just me. What thoughts do you have?

Comments

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Fibromialygia IS real. I have friends that suffer from it, and it's nasty.

[frostedelves.livejournal.com]

Fibromyalgia's real and nasty. My mother suffers from it.

As for company reps giving out free samples of drugs to existing users being akin to street pushers or not, it's an interesting question but not one I feel equipped to discuss in depth at the moment. My general position, though, is that free help with pain management is a good thing provided there is not also an issue with addiction.