All Episodes

February 28, 2022 68 mins

Dr.John Abramson is a physician who is a clinical faculty member at Harvard Medical School. His areas of expertise include public health policy, and he has a special interest in the pharmaceutical industry in America. He has authored two books on this subject, with his most recent title, 'Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It,' published in 2022. He is also an expert in national litigation with respect to the drug industry.

In this astonishing episode, Dr. Abramson reveals how the pharmaceutical industry skews data to mislead the American public, doctors, and the rest of the medical industry. He details how pharmaceutical companies control the narrative by funding research, owning the data, and using powerful marketing strategies. These efforts create an institutionalized bias towards pricey drugs, which in some cases are 200 times more expensive than alternatives that are equally or less effective. Whether you're an employer, medical professional, or an American resident, prepare to be shocked at how drug companies have gradually taken control of the systems and institutions that are meant to regulate the pharmaceutical industry and protect Americans.

Timestamps :

00:43 - The true costs of pharmaceuticals in the employer wellness space.
01:46 - Why does the American public need to start taking their health into their own hands?03:46 - How do pharmaceutical companies use marketing and publicity to seem altruistic?04:53 - How did Dr. Abramson become a national thought-leader on the pharmaceutical industry and how do companies obscure data?
24:32 - How do pharmaceutical companies bypass the peer-review system?
28:19 - How do drug companies favor more expensive treatments that aren't always more effective?
27:36 - How do employers navigate through the pharmaceutical industry?
01:02:59 - What responsibility do doctors bear in this situation?
01:06:22 - An optimistic closing note.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.