Several years ago I got a skin infection and went to the doctor to get it treated. He gave me a prescription for an ointment that cost $20.00 (this was in 1980). I put it on my skin and had an allergic reaction to it. So I went back to the doctor ( a physician's assistant maybe not a doctor) and he said -"oh, just go to the drug store and get some Tinactin". I did and it worked and it cost less than four bucks. I wondered then, as I do now, why didn't they give me the cheaper, non-prescription option first.



Later I worked in health care and I learned the answer. Armies of drug representatives invade our doctors offices and push their products on them. They bribe the staff with lunches and they leave all kinds of stuff around with the name of the drug on it - pens, pen holders, notepads etc. They offer "free" trainings for MDs that can count toward their re certification hours. They give the Docs free samples. It's kind of like the medical equivalent of lobbying. Many of these new drugs that they peddle are found to be problematic and some get pulled from the market. It's all about profit.