The Truth About Big Pharma: What You Need to Know
Weltrio Minute: Week of 2/26/2025
The Truth About Big Pharma: What You Need to Know
How Does Big Pharma Affect Your Health and Your Wallet?
When you go to the doctor, you expect to get the best possible treatment based on science and research. But what if the information your doctor relies on isn’t telling the full story? What if pharmaceutical companies—the ones making the medicines—are controlling what doctors see and learn?
This isn’t just a wild theory. It’s a reality that Harvard Medical School faculty member and physician Dr. John Abramson has spent years uncovering. His book, Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Healthcare and How We Can Fix It, explains how the pharmaceutical industry has put profits ahead of patients.
Profits Over People?
Think about this: The most profitable drug in the world, Humira, made about $20 billion a year. But Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine? It pulled in $65 billion in just two years. That’s three times more than the biggest drug ever!
Why does this matter? Because when making money becomes the priority, the goal shifts from helping people to selling as much as possible. This means drug companies spend billions on advertising—to both doctors and patients—so that more prescriptions get written, even when cheaper or better options exist.
Take Trulicity, a diabetes drug. It’s often advertised on TV with happy, active people. The ad claims it helps prevent heart disease. But here’s what the ad doesn’t say:
· You have to treat 323 people to prevent just one non-fatal heart event.
· It costs over $6,200 a year, while a common diabetes drug like Metformin costs just $48 a year.
· Healthy lifestyle changes—like diet and exercise—work even better at preventing heart disease, but they aren’t advertised because no one profits from them.
Big Pharma isn't breaking laws by doing this—they're just playing the game better than anyone else.
The Role of the FDA: Who’s Watching the Watchdogs?
You might think, "Well, the FDA regulates these companies, right?" Technically, yes. But in reality, the FDA and pharmaceutical companies have a cozy relationship.
Take the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine approval process. The FDA was asked to release all the data used in the vaccine trials. But instead of sharing it right away, they asked for 55 years to go through the documents—hundreds of thousands of pages. Later, it was revealed that Pfizer joined the lawsuit to help the FDA delay the release of these documents.
If the vaccine data is so solid, why the delay? The reality is, once a drug is approved, companies don’t always want the world digging into the fine details of their studies.
How Drug Advertising Shapes What You Believe
Did you know that only the U.S. and New Zealand allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising? That means if you’re watching TV, scrolling through social media, or reading a magazine, you’re constantly being told what drugs to ask your doctor for.
But it’s not just about you. Doctors themselves are targeted more than anyone. Drug companies spend more money advertising to doctors than they do to the general public.
Why? Because your doctor’s trust is valuable. If a pharmaceutical company can convince your doctor that their drug is the best, that’s more prescriptions and more profit.
What Can Be Done?
So, what’s the solution? Dr. Abramson suggests a few key changes:
Make drug company data public. If taxpayers fund research or if a drug is approved for public use, the full data should be available for independent review.
Stop misleading advertising. Drug ads should clearly state the true costs, how many people actually benefit, and how they compare to lifestyle changes or cheaper alternatives.
Regulate Big Pharma’s influence on doctors. Doctors should have access to unbiased research, not just the studies that pharmaceutical companies want them to see.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, the pharmaceutical industry isn’t evil—but it is profit-driven. That means it plays by the rules that benefit the company, not necessarily the patient.
As consumers, we need to be aware of these practices, ask our doctors the right questions, and push for transparency in medicine. Because when it comes to your health, you deserve the whole truth—not just the most profitable version of it.
Weltrio Win: Helping Angi Save 86% on Her Prescriptions & Improve Her Health
When Angi, a 52-year-old managing type 2 diabetes, joined Weltrio’s coaching program, she was spending over $600 a year on Metaglip, believing it was the best option for her condition. But through Weltrio’s education on Big Pharma’s pricing tactics, she discovered a game-changing fact—Metaglip is simply a combination of two common, inexpensive medications: Metformin and Glipizide. By switching to separate prescriptions of the exact same drugs, Angi’s costs dropped to just $80 per year—an 86% savings.
With her coach’s support, Angi confidently discussed this option with her doctor, who was happy to make the switch. She then worked with her Weltrio coach to reduce sugar and increase daily walking, improving her health even further.
For Angi, saving $520 a year was not life changing, but super helpful! Her story is proof that knowledge is power—and with Weltrio, patients don’t just save money, they take control of their health. Now, that’s a win!
How Weltrio Can Help
Weltrio is dedicated to maximizing every healthcare dollar by working within the system to identify cost-saving opportunities for businesses and employees alike. Just like a tax accountant finds every deduction to reduce expenses, Weltrio uncovers areas where healthcare dollars are being spent unwisely. The healthcare system is complex and often inefficient, leading to unnecessary costs that burden both employers and employees. Weltrio’s approach is proactive and strategic, eliminating wasteful spending one person at a time.
By monitoring pharmacy utilization daily, ensuring rebates are returned to the employer, and identifying cost-effective prescription alternatives, Weltrio significantly reduces expenses without compromising care. Our team works directly with providers, employees, and benefit managers to correct costly inefficiencies, making healthcare more affordable for everyone.
In a system designed to overspend, Weltrio ensures every dollar is spent wisely, optimizing benefits and keeping money where it belongs—in the pockets of businesses and employees.
References:
American Hospital Association. (2024, May 22). Drug prices and shortages jeopardize patient access, quality hospital care. AHA News. https://www.aha.org/news/blog/2024-05-22-drug-prices-and-shortages-jeopardize-patient-access-quality-hospital-care
Attia, P. (2025, February 15). Drug development. Peter Attia MD. https://peterattiamd.com/drug-development/
UBS. (2024). GLP-1: A medication with macroeconomic impact. UBS Investment Bank. https://www.ubs.com/global/en/investment-bank/insights-and-data/2024/glp-1-a-medication.html
Lex Fridman. (2022, February 11). John Abramson: Big Pharma / Lex Fridman Podcast #263 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/arrokG3wCdE
Abramson, J. (2023, February, 27). America's broken health care: Diagnosis and prescription. Imprimis, 52(2). https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/americas-broken-health-care-diagnosis-and-prescription/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
