From Pills to Profits: Unseen Forces of Medicinal Control

Whether watching TV, scrolling social media or visiting a doctor, unseen algorithms are at work—guiding not only what you see but also the treatments you receive. In Big Pharma’s hands, these algorithms become tools of control, steering drug ads, suggesting prescriptions, and influencing medical advice.

Healthcare, once centered on personalized care, is now driven by data, allowing pharmaceutical companies to shape medical decisions at their core. Algorithms in electronic health records often prioritize costly, patented drugs over affordable, natural treatments, nudging providers toward pharmaceutical solutions that sustain Big Pharma’s profits.

Meanwhile, advertising algorithms target consumers directly, using personal data to push pharmaceutical ads on social media and streaming platforms. Medications like antidepressants and weight-loss drugs are marketed as primary health solutions, bypassing providers altogether.

Beyond marketing, algorithms also influence regulatory bodies like the FDA, which now uses them to expedite drug approvals. This focus on speed can overlook safety, with side effects often emerging years later. In this way, algorithms shape our medical landscape, frequently prioritizing profits over patient well-being.

Although, the reach of algorithms extends beyond technology; societal algorithms influence the medical field much like other industries, all interwoven by design. In this chapter, we’ll peel back the layers of the medical industry—examining its history, foundational philosophies, and the forces that shape it today. We’ll delve into the rise of pharmaceutical dominance, the marginalization of natural therapies, and the pervasive focus on treating symptoms rather than curing illness.

As we explore, we’ll uncover the hidden structures that guide patient care, often prioritizing profits over people. From the infiltration of regulatory bodies to the manipulation of medical education, we’ll expose how corporate interests have redefined the standards of care. This journey will reveal the tangled web of profit-driven motives and the societal algorithms that shape the very nature of healthcare, leaving true healing by the wayside. Prepare to dissect the medical field layer by layer, uncovering the deeper forces at play.

Big Pharma’s Grip: Manipulating Media and Medicine Through Financial Influence

Big Pharma’s influence reaches far beyond the confines of healthcare—it has infiltrated the media, crafting a powerful network that sustains and reinforces its dominance. In the United States, where direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is legal, our TVs, radios, and social media feeds are inundated with drug promotions. From antidepressants to weight-loss medications, these ads shape public perception, embedding the belief that pharmaceuticals are the primary—and often only—solution to health problems. In reality, this could not be further from the truth.

Unlike many other countries where pharmaceutical advertising is banned, in the U.S., pharmaceutical companies are the largest contributors to media ad revenue, pouring billions into promoting their products. In 2022 alone, they spent over $6 billion on TV ads, keeping networks afloat and binding them to their most profitable client. Without Big Pharma’s financial backing, the “Big Six” corporations might collapse, as the medical industry is their backbone. These corporations control the narrative with the steady flow of pharmaceutical dollars, saturating their channels with drug ads and filtering out critical perspectives on health and medication.

This financial relationship transforms media companies into dependent partners, reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them. The consequence? A muted landscape, where critical reporting on issues like over-medication, drug dependency, and dangerous side effects is often sidelined. Instead, drug ads saturate the airwaves, ensuring that the public remains constantly exposed to pharmaceutical solutions.

Money also plays a significant role in determining which drugs doctors prescribe, often placing pharmaceutical interests ahead of patient needs. Pharmaceutical companies deploy sales representatives to visit doctors’ offices, offering financial incentives, free samples, and even paid speaking engagements to promote their latest medications. This creates a subtle but powerful influence, where doctors may feel compelled to favor the drugs they’ve been encouraged to prescribe—often the newest and most expensive options.

This financial relationship shifts the focus from patient-centered care to profit-driven decision-making, reinforcing a cycle where medication becomes the default answer, regardless of other potential treatments.

In this way, Big Pharma’s financial power over both media and medical practices ensures that the narrative of pharmaceutical dominance goes unchallenged, maintaining their grip on public perception, policy, and health outcomes. By controlling the flow of information and influencing prescribing habits, Big Pharma keeps the public locked into a cycle of over-medication, with zero scrutiny of long-term consequences and anyone who challenges these forces, are labeled as crazy. As we dive deeper, you will see exactly why we should all be questioning the efficiency and effectiveness of each of these drugs.

Rockefeller’s Influence: From Healing to Synthetic Medicine

Here we encounter our friend once again—a recurring figure in this story. The transformation of modern medicine can also be traced back to John D. Rockefeller. With his oil empire producing vast petroleum byproducts, Rockefeller seized the opportunity to repurposed these chemical waste materials for use in medicine. At that time, healthcare mainly relied on holistic practices like herbalism and homeopathy, focused on long-term healing and balance. However, Rockefeller aimed to reshape the system, much like he did with education, steering it toward synthetic, petroleum-based drugs.

Using his immense wealth, Rockefeller funded medical schools and research centers that prioritized chemical treatments over natural therapies. The 1910 Flexner Report, which he sponsored, led to the decline of alternative approaches and firmly steered the medical field toward pharmaceuticals. Take levothyroxine, a drug prescribed for hypothyroidism, as an example. It’s the synthetic version of the amino acid L-Tyrosine. Instead of addressing this deficiency with a natural, essential protein, patients are given a lab-created synthetic substitute, often overlooking the potential for dietary changes to correct the issue.

The petroleum or oil industry is the backbone of modern science. We wonder why we have such a hard time moving away from its control of our world, it drives our cars, or medicine, and as you will soon learn, even our financial system. This shift established a healthcare model focused on treating symptoms with synthetic drugs rather than addressing root causes—an essential component in the algorithm of control that continues to drive profits to this day.

How Big Pharma Gained Public Trust: Antibiotics and Birth Control

After World War II, Big Pharma gained public trust largely through the success of antibiotics, particularly penicillin, which saved countless lives on and off the battlefield. These “miracle drugs” created confidence in the pharmaceutical industry, seen as capable of conquering deadly infections. Antibiotics’ effectiveness in treating diseases like pneumonia, syphilis, and tuberculosis further cemented public and medical faith in pharmaceuticals.

Government-backed mass production of antibiotics during the war solidified the industry’s role in national security and public health. This post-war pharmaceutical boom led to rapid drug development for various ailments, positioning medicine and science as cornerstones of modern life.

With trust firmly established, Big Pharma continued to introduce new treatments. By the 1950s and 1960s, marketing efforts framed drugs as essential to our well-being. Believing that doctors and scientists knew best, people unwittingly allowed pharmaceutical companies to swoop in and take what they wanted: their money.

By the 1960s, the public was fully primed to embrace any new drug that came their way. Birth control pills were hailed as the perfect solution—a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

Little did they know, synthetic hormones disrupt insulin sensitivity and metabolism, contributing to the rise of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and obesity. The risks were minimized, and birth control became normalized, never fully addressing its lasting impact on health.

This marked a turning point in the rise of chronic diseases. What began as a tool for reproductive autonomy became a gateway to widespread health issues. The reliance on pharmaceuticals and the introduction of synthetic hormones significantly contributed to a society where chronic conditions became increasingly prevalent. To make matters worse, this trend continues today, with the public largely unaware of the potential long-term risks associated with synthetic hormones.

Censorship will likely continue whenever the “current thing” is criticized. Mainstream media wields significant power and isn’t shy about using it. Instead of subscribing to TV channels, Netflix you rarely watch, consider supporting independent citizen journalists.

As a full-time researcher, your support is invaluable to my work. I kindly invite you to consider subscribing to the paid version of my newsletter. You can access exclusive content and help sustain my ongoing research.

The Rise of Neurological Disorders: Autism and Beyond

Neurological disorders are on the rise as well, and have been ever since the introduction of processed foods and unnecessary vaccines. Autism has surged from affecting 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 by 2020. Similar spikes are seen in ADHD, depression, and other cognitive disorders. Research increasingly links environmental factors—such as chemicals in food, water, and medications—to this alarming trend.

Processed foods, preservatives, and pharmaceuticals often contain toxins that disrupt brain development. Yet, instead of addressing these environmental risks, the healthcare system focuses on managing symptoms through medication. This is another layer of the algorithm of control: keeping patients dependent on pharmaceuticals rather than addressing the root causes of neurological disorders.

Nutritional Education: The Missing Link in Medical Training

One of the most shocking gaps in modern healthcare is the lack of nutritional education for doctors. U.S. physicians receive less than 25 hours of nutrition training throughout their education, leaving them unprepared to address the impact of diet on chronic illness. Instead of focusing on the root causes of diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, the medical system turns to pharmaceuticals.

This educational gap is by design. It ensures that quick-fix medications dominate treatment, keeping patients in a cycle of dependency on drugs rather than exploring food and lifestyle changes that could prevent or reverse illness. By sidelining nutrition, the algorithm prioritizes pharmaceutical solutions, perpetuating a healthcare system where illness fuels corporate profits.