There is a new wave of thinking that's sweeping the Healthcare industry…. Drug, retail stores, as well as grocery stores are now providing larger areas devoted to vitamin and natural product sales – you’ve seen this, haven’t you? Market forces are driving pharmaceutical companies toward the manufacture of “natural products".
Still others are actually buying up companies that manufacture such products. At present, there is a large battle brewing over the increasing use of natural health products. Why? Simple. Money. The Canadian and US governments are attempting to regulate the “Natural Health Industry” and make the sale of vitamins, nutraceuticals, and herbal products, etc., a prescription entity. The same thing is happening world-wide: Many are outraged at the future labeling of vitamins and natural remedies such as lysine, chromium picolinate, selenium, and others, as medical drugs rather than their current classification as "food supplements" - it will be illegal to sell these supplements over-the-counter. It will be required that those wanting to use supplements obtain a prescription from a physician. Nice!
Many believe that these measures are instigated by the pharmaceutical industry for their own financial benefit rather than the government’s claim that it is for the protection of the public. If consumers can no longer purchase supplements over-the- counter, pharmaceutical companies will eliminate competition. The reason is simple:
The pharmaceutical industry has been losing billions of dollars on people who opt to take these products instead of drugs… And of course, the family doctor has been losing patients to self-directed health care in the form of natural products that are easily available – and often have better results and no side-effects. From a business perspective this makes absolute sense; eliminate the competition. Get in on the action. Ride the wave. From an ethical perspective – there are obvious difficulties.
If you have noticed the above trends, you are on top of this wave. If you can understand the reason for this shift in thinking, consider yourself ahead of the rest.
