With all due respect to Dorothy and Little Hawk I think you are both confusing the marketing practices of "Big Pharma" with the efficacy of modern pharmaceuticals. The advancement of therapeutic agents in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable and many millions, if not billions, of people are enjoying a quality of life that was unavailable to them just a few years ago. It is research scientists who do the heavy lifting in the field, the pharmaceutical companies are the agents for the product, much like agents who manage and exploit musicians, and like them should all be put up against a wall and shot.