fixing broken medical system

I’m no public policy expert, but if anyone knows one, feel free to share my suggestions for fixing—or at least improving—our broken medical system

1. Prohibit industry funding of public health agencies. This would eliminate the conflicts of interest that allow these agencies to prioritize corporate profits over public health.

2. Ban pharmaceutical advertising. Once this is done, “news” outlets are free to report side effects, negative trial results, breaches of ethics, and actual facts (not marketing claims).

3. Implement a one-strike rule. Any company found guilty of bribing doctors, manipulating research studies, falsifying clinical trial results, engaging in fraudulent or deceptive advertising, or disregarding patient safety gets shut down after the first offense. No fines, no wrist slaps, no exceptions.

4. Dismantle the revolving door between Pharma and the government. Once you’ve worked for one, you cannot work for the other. Period.

5. Make all clinical trial data open and available to the public. This would prevent selective reporting of favorable (or unfavorable) outcomes and then—gasp!—regular folks could do their own research.

6. Repeal the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. Under the NCVIA, vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable for vaccine-related injuries and deaths. Minus this liability, where’s the incentive to produce safe, effective products?

7. Expand and enforce whistleblower protection laws. If you’re the one who exposes industry misconduct, you cannot be fired, imprisoned, or punished in any way. Any effort by the company or industry you exposed to retaliate would be met with swift, harsh punishment.

Does my list seem impossibly daunting or undoable? What did I forget? Add your suggestions in the comments. 

A guest post by Jenna McCarthy I write things. I gave a few TED talks people didn't hate. My substack is JennasSide.rocks. (See what I did there?) People tell me I'm funny.