‘The System Is Rigged’: The Anatomy of Big Pharma’s Political Reach, byRebecca Strong

With their long, sordid history, pharmaceutical companies incentivize doctors to prescribe their products through financial rewards. Thanks to their astronomical profit margins, the pharmaceuticals and health products industry is able to spend more on lobbying than any other industry in America.

After graduating from Columbia University with a chemical engineering degree, my grandfather went on to work for Pfizer for almost two decades, culminating his career as the company’s Global Director of New Products.

I was rather proud of this fact growing up — it felt as if this father figure, who raised me for several years during my childhood, had somehow played a role in saving lives. But in recent years, my perspective on Pfizer — and other companies in its class — has shifted.

Blame it on the insidious big pharma corruption laid bare by whistleblowers in recent years. Blame it on the endless string of big pharma lawsuits revealing fraud, deception and cover-ups. Blame it on the fact that I witnessed some of their most profitable drugs ruin the lives of those I love most. All I know is, that pride I once felt has been overshadowed by a sticky skepticism I just can’t seem to shake. …