The Big Pharma Conspiracy
Everyone who has been involved in criticism of Supplementary, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine (SCAM) will have heard of this one. (While I'm on, go to Google news and type in "Burzynski Clinic".)

"You're not doing it out of concern for people being ripped off, or even from a sense of justice and that cheats shouldn't prosper, but because the Big Pharmaceutical companies are just interested in keeping people sick, and they are paying you to attack us."

I wish it were true. I could use some extra cash.
( Amish Information Systems hates misplaced, commas, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 11:43, 3 replies)

I worked 18 years in the R&D division of a big pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical business (like all human endeavours) reflects human nature both good and bad. I can only speak from my own personal experience, but I never saw any sign of the kind of activity that 'Big Pharma' conspiracy theorists believe so strongly. Yes there are unscrupulous people, but probably less than in the population as a whole. You generally don't enter a career in medical science with evil doing in mind.

History tells us that governments large and small, and big business are very bad at keeping secrets. There is absolutely no way that the kind of 'cover up' and 'secret ops' theorists propose, could go undetected for decades.
( notoolsovernight you're all luvvly an' 'orrible, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 12:12, closed)

Well, that and the fact that Big Pharma would lap up the chance to mass market all the woo-woo if it ever got taken seriously by the maintstream.
I mean, water and sugar for homeopathy costs next to nothing to manufacture compared to all that complicated chemistry they have to use currently, they could ditch all that expensive and long-winded research altogether, and just rake in the profits.

In fact, they already do... Holland & Barrett & GMC stores in the UK are owned by the same people who own Boots & Alliance Chemists - The Carlyle Group
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Fri 2 Dec 2011, 13:33, closed)

As someone who works in CAM (I'm an herbalist NOT a homeopath)
I've encountered this wingnut idea on more than one occasion, and it irritates the living piss out of me.

I happen to think placebo-controlled clinical trials are a Very Good Idea. I also get annoyed when people conflate homeopathy and herbal medicine (remember, herbal medicine is the one where you can actually point to the active ingredient and also its mechanism of action!) I think that well-researched herbal medicine can have a very big place in healthcare as a cheap and readily available treatment for many minor illnesses. Peppermint tea for a bit of gas? Excellent! Calendula ointment for a scrape! Tops! Gingerroot syrup for nausea associated with pregnancy? There have been some pretty good studies on that one, fire away!

But those that act as if doctors and medical researchers were some sort of Evil Cabal hell-bent on keeping everyone on the planet ill piss me off enormously. ATTENTION WINGNUTS: You are making me look bad. Please stop.
(herbivorous, Sat 3 Dec 2011, 23:22, closed)