About That Protest…

Posted Aug 17, 2006 by Julie Pace

Updated Aug 17, 2006 at 05:11 PM

I have to give these protesters credit. This one was creative.

First, a word about why so many people here hate the pharmaceutical companies. We all know medication is expensive. Now, imagine you live in a third-world country and make a few hundred U.S. dollars a year. You test HIV-positive, and are told the only way you can get medication is to pay for it. Oh, and the yearly drug cost is equal to, or more, than your annual salary. Many of these people have been helped by generic drug companies, which can sell the drugs for much cheaper. It allows some people to pay for drugs on their own, and some countries to buy large amounts of generic drugs so they can offer them to more people for free.

Some pharmaceutical companies are not very happy about this. They argue that their scientists and researchers will have no motivation to find new drugs if their findings can be ripped off and sold on the cheap.

The protesters make it a profits versus life issue, and that causes drug company reps keep a low profile at these conferences.

Today, the focus was on finding the representatives from Abbott - literally. The protesters were armed not only with the usual signs and T-shirts, but magnifying glasses and binoculars. They were looking behind doors, under tables, you know, anywhere you might find a pharma rep. No luck on what they’ve dug up, but I’ll keep you posted.