Homeopathy

In Australia, it was widely percieved that sales reps from Pharmaceutical companies routinely took doctors on jollies and gave them gifts.

speaking as the son of a consultant, yes, pharma reps job's is to make doctors use their drugs and so they hand out all kinds of free crap.

Im interested in the political influence exerted by pharmaceutical companies, and the possibility that profit making comes ahead of developing and distributing medication that could really change things.

considering the economic landscape we live in (i.e. a private company has to make a profit [unless subsidised] to be viable) this seems a moot point. of course profit>people. welcome to capitalism.

Im interested in how the so called "Pharma lobby" can influence prices of drugs.

i believe (as has been said up in the thread) that when a company develops a drug, for a certain time they are the only company allowed to make it (or license others to...) so that they can make back the money they spent developing it. i don't see how it would happen any other way unless govt's paid for drug development.

I want to know how anyone can think its right to advertise prescription drugs directly to the consumer.

does this happen in the UK?