http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42607

Think about it. As drugs are switched from prescription to
over-the-counter products, insurance companies will find themselves
largely "off the hook" and drug companies are likely to experience the
benefits of increased sales. Such change is a literal windfall for both
industries. And if the driving force is money, the vehicle is a
fast-paced economy, convenience and time - not safety.

As for our watchdog agency and any hoped for stopgaps, it appears the
FDA sometimes ignores the danger signs and worse, stigmatizes its own
employees if they dare question the safety of certain drugs. This may
point to an even bigger problem.

Corroborating claims of drug-industry deception, a two-year Los Angeles
Times investigation published in December 2000 found that the seven
drugs approved since 1993 had been withdrawn after reports of deaths
and severe side effects. It also stated, "The FDA approved each of
those drugs while disregarding danger signs or blunt warnings from its
own specialists. Then, after receiving reports of significant harm to
patients, the agency was slow to seek withdrawals."

In response, public confidence is justifiably eroded in the FDA's
ability or apparent inclination to protect or even warn the public of
dangers to our health from the pharmaceutical industry. While this has
been a boon to the legal industry, it obviously increases the burdens
on the individual regarding drug use and safety. It further means the
pop-a-pill mindset so prevalent in America is growing akin to a game of
Russian roulette.

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