With 70% of Americans taking at least one prescription drug, John Oliver takes us on an entertaining, yet eyebrow raising journey into the pits of the prescription drug world.
The BBC reports that 9 of the 10 big pharma companies spend more money on marketing than they do on research.
We get to see a video of pharmaceutical rep meetings that treat their drug releases like NBA finals pre-game shows. One speaker is quoted as saying
"There are people in this room that are going to make an un-Godly sum of money selling Advair, and you know who you are."
One pharma rep is quoted as saying that, in his training session, he was the only one with a science background and had to explain to his instructors the basic process of how brain cells communicate. Even more disturbing, a pharma sales rep with a poly sci degree says that she was asked by the doctor what to prescribe to a patient where other drugs didn't seem to be "working."
An entertaining video into some inner-workings of the pharmaceutical industry, and yes, some doctors do get paid by the companies of the drugs they peddle. (Some NSFW language)