Former Min. of Health: Pharma has completely captured politicians (DE; EN translation in desc.)

2 years ago
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TRANSLATION/SUMMARY
Karl Lauterbach (scientist, doctor and politician) says that often doctors are bought. They are rewarded for promoting certain medicines and diseases (for which these profitable medicines are supposed to be used). We should make sure that medical professional societies should not take part in or support these unethical and dangerous activities.

Horst Seehofer, former German Minister of Health, current Minister of Internal Affairs:

Q: Is the pharma lobby really so strong that they in fact have full control over politicians?
A: Yes, this has been the case for the last 30 years and also to this hour. Useful structural changes in public health, such as more market forces (i.e. less monopoly), have been made impossible due to strong pharma lobby.

Q: But it can't be possible that pharma is so strong that they have politicians in their pocket? Shouldn't politicians have the final say?
A: Well, it is the way it is.

It is as you say: The people who make the decisions have not been elected, and the people who have been elected don't get to make the decisions.

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