The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What boomers need to know about prescription drugs: The problem

It’s not the first time a scathing book on prescription drugs has sizzled on American bookshelves.

But a book just released by Melody Petersen offers new, chilling information about the increased dependence of Americans on prescription drugs. It’s called “Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves Into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs.”

Over the last 25 years, drug companies have become aggressive marketers, selling antidepressants, pain pills, and heart medications like soft drinks and detergent, according to Petersen.

Prescription drug advertising is everywhere – on television, scoreboards, and racecar hoods. Drug companies offer sweepstakes and sponsor rock concerts, movie premieres, and baseball’s major leagues.

The marketing works. Americans spent $250 billion in 2005 on prescription drugs, she reports in “Our Daily Meds.” Nearly 65 percent of Americans take prescription drugs.

Drug companies have turned what were once normal life events -- depression caused by divorce, anxiety about work, and menopause -- into ailments, according to Peterson. People want pills that are quick fixes for these problems.

In 1994, the average American purchased eight prescriptions from his or her pharmacy. In 2006, the number increased to more than 12. Older Americans take an average of 30 prescriptions a year.

The problem: more than 100,000 people in the U.S. die each year from prescription drugs, she reports.

Americans are taking more medications than they need, according to Petersen. And the nation may now pay as much to care for patients harmed by their prescriptions as it originally spent on those medications.

Physicians are the targets of a large majority of the industry’s marketing dollars. In the U.S., there is now one drug salesperson for every six physicians.

The raw chemicals and manufacturing is about 10 percent of the price of most brand name prescription drugs, she reports. From 1995 to 2002, drug companies were the nation’s most profitable industry.

Since the drug industry has so much money, it controls medical science, she reports. Developing lifestyle drugs is the emphasis rather than discovering cures for diseases like malaria.

America’s for-profit medical system -- filled with incentives to make money rather than good care -- has failed, according to Petersen.

“Our Daily Meds” was reviewed in The New York Times on March 17, 2008. Peterson is the author of “The Truth About the Drug Companies” and worked as a reporter for The Times for four years covering the drug industry.

The Public Citizen report, “America's Other Drug Problem: A Briefing Book on the Rx Drug Debate” also offers information on: spending on drugs, marketing, drug company profits, research and development costs, taxpayer subsidies, patent protections, and lobbying spending. The report was updated in 2003.

The drug industry spends almost twice as much on the promotion of drugs as on research, Public Citizen reported in its February 2008 Health Letter under Outrage of the Month.

U.S. pharmaceutical industry marketing expenses in 2004 were $57.5 billion dollars, according to two Canadian researchers Drs. Joel Luxchin and Marc-Andre Gagnon. Industry spending on research and development of drugs was $31.5 billion.

Note: The chart is from the Web site of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), 2007. You can click on the chart to enlarge it.

Tomorrow’s post on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide: “What Boomers Need to Know About Prescription Drugs: What You Take and What You Spend.”

Late spring snow storms a surprise

When we headed out of town Friday, we hoped that we’d miss any snow on our trip.

But two to six inches struck parts of the Puget Sound-Bellingham, Wash., area Friday and Saturday. In March. March 28 and 29, to be exact.

On Friday, we had snow mixed with rain, and although snow covered the ground in more places than we would have liked, it wasn’t sticking on Interstate 5.

However, Saturday was a different story. We woke up in Bellingham to two to three inches of snow. (See photo.)

After breakfast, we decided to cut our visit short and try to head for home.

I-5 was quite slushy coming out of Bellingham and again in the Everett-Marysville area. Seattle was fine, with some snow after that in Kent, but no more slush.

We were happy to make it home, but I wondered as we were slogging through the snow if global warming is causing erratic or extreme weather conditions already.

“Recent climate modeling results indicate that ‘extreme’ weather events may become more common,” according to Extreme Weather, a chapter in the report “Climate Change: Disrupting our Economy, Environment, and Communities” by the Washington State Department of Ecology.”

Rising average temperatures produce a more variable climate system, the report indicates. What can be expected with weather changes? Localized events could include:

• Windstorms.
• Heat waves, droughts.
• Storms with extreme rain or snow.
• Dust storms.

Interesting. I think we’ll just need to learn about this as we go along.

Next week’s posts on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will be on “What Boomer Consumers Need to Know About Prescription Drugs.”

Connecting with others increases joy, improves health

Since I quit my day job in September to become a full-time writer, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the Internet doing research and blogging.

So when I was invited to a bridal shower for a member of my niece’s family, I was happy to get out of town for a couple of days.

We had a great time. We laughed and laughed over the Purse Game, where you received points for things in your purse: tape measures, flashlights, pens, pencils, food, coupons, and so on. The Coupon Lady won. She had 36 coupons at six points each. Wow.

The hostess had set a beautiful table for us and served a great dessert. (See the photos at the right.) After a nice dinner, the bride-to-be opened presents. More stories and laughter.

It was fun to connect with people and improve my social life.

Studies show being isolated can affect your health negatively and even your longevity.

In his book, “Love and Survival – 8 Pathways to Intimacy and Health,” Dr. Dean Ornish gives suggestions for how to get more out of life through “opening your heart” and connecting with others.

Ornish’s book is a good reminder that we need to take the time connect with others and have fun.

Midlife suicide rates rising

The suicide rate among 45 to 54 year olds went up almost 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, according to a recently released study by the Centers for Disease Control and reported by The New York Times.

Researchers were puzzled by the trend, but some health care providers foresaw it due to their work with depressed clients, according to The Times.

A National Public Radio program discussed depression at midlife, and what help and treatments are available. Dr. Eda Goldstein, author of “When the Bubble Bursts: Clinical Perspectives on Midlife Issues,” and Dr. Myrna Weissman, chief of the Division of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology at New York State Psychiatric Institute, participated in the discussion.

If you’re depressed or someone you know is, it’s important to seek help. Call your local health department for resources available in your community.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You’ll be routed to the closest crisis center in your area. Calls are free and confidential.

What should boomers do about retirement savings in shaky economy?

What a new survey shows

As economic indicators head downward, many baby boomers interviewed in a survey say they’re less confident that their retirement savings will provide adequately for retirement.

Fifty-six percent of baby boomers said they’re less confident than they were three months ago that their retirement savings will last them through retirement, a survey conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Longevity Alliance, a firm that sells financial products for older adults, showed.

Of those baby boomers with retirement savings, seven in 10 said they were “less confident” overall, with 35 percent being “somewhat less confident,” and 36 percent indicating they are “much less confident.”

Few of the boomers knew what steps to take next, survey results showed. About two out of five (39 percent) of boomers with retirement savings have changed or plan to change their retirement savings as a direct result of the current economic conditions. Of those boomers with savings who have made a change (or plan to), 43 percent say they would seek the advice of a financial advisor or retirement planning professional.

The survey found differences in attitudes about retirement between men and women:

Among adults of all ages, men are more likely than women to have retirement savings (78 percent vs. 70 percent).

Compared to male boomers, female boomers are much more likely to say they have less confidence in their retirement savings (61 percent of female boomers vs. 49 percent of male boomers).

The Retirement Planning survey was conducted online within the United States between Feb. 27 and Feb. 29, 2008, among 2,521 adults ages 18-plus, of whom, 831 are boomers.

What Suze Orman recommends

In January, I linked to a clip of Suze Orman on CNN’s Larry King Live in which she said people should leave their investments where they are during this economic downtown if they’re in good stocks, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds. She added for those about to retire in five months to a year, they shouldn’t be in the stock market to begin with. See my post Making Decisions About Investments Isn’t Easy Now.

Orman is still singing the same tune.

In another Larry King interview on March 26, Orman said ordinary investors should stay on the sidelines until the stock market settles down.

She thinks the economy is “not so bad,” and we’ve “gotten through the worst of it.”

Orman suggests cutting back on everything because gas and food, such as wheat and milk, are so expensive.

On spending your tax rebate, she repeated her mantra: don’t spend it, use it to pay off credit cards or other debts, or save it for retirement.

Orman will appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show Monday, March 31, 2008.

Internet sites empower boomer consumers

Being an informed consumer is vital in helping boomer consumers in their daily lives. These helpful Web sites are worth reading regularly:

• ConsumerReports.org. Provides ratings on consumer products and articles on how to buy goods and services.

• ConsumerAffairs.Com. Offers news articles on a wide variety of consumer topics written and edited by a staff of eight, mostly journalists. The recall section is helpful because it lists information from all agencies, not just the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumer complaints can be filed. Information on companies is provided.

• AARP.org (beta). The online version of the AARP Magazine, divided into categories of Health, Money, Leisure, Make a Difference, Family, and Online Community.

• Troubleshooter.com. Makes available consumer information gathered from Tom Martino’s radio and TV programs. Helpful for consumers are ReferralList.com, prescreened and monitored merchants and service professionals, and the HelpCenter where consumer counselors provide information and referrals by telephone and give direct help in solving consumer problems or answering consumer questions.

• MeasuredUp. Offers a site where consumers rate and review the customer service they experience from businesses.

• Better Business Bureau. Supplies extensive information about companies based on consumer complaints filed.

• Consumer World. Presents dozens of articles on consumer issues and consumer "quickies." The blog is written by Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and educator for 30 years.

• National Association of Attorneys General. Check this site to find if the Attorney General's Office in your state or another state agency handles consumer complaints. NAAG also offers a round-up of consumer protection news at the state level.

These federal government sites provide consumer resources and some take reports from consumers on marketplace problems.

• Consumer Product Safety Commission. Takes reports on unsafe products and offers information on recalls and product safety. The commission has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer products, but it doesn't regulate airplanes, cars, food, or drugs.

• Federal Citizen Information Center. Lists booklets on consumer topics that can be purchased or downloaded and offers a Consumer Information Catalog.

• Consumer Action Website. Makes available links to consumer news, consumer topics, how and where to file complaints, and publications.

• Consumer.gov. Supplies a round-up of resources available from the federal government.

• Federal Trade Commission. Takes consumer complaints and uses them for law enforcement purposes rather than to assist individuals resolve their complaints. The FTC also provides information on identity theft, Internet scams, credit cards and credit reporting, and telemarketing and telephone services. The agency also manages the National Do Not Call Registry.

• Recalls.Gov. Alerts consumers to recalls in a one-stop, federal government Web site. Six agencies join to provide recall information on consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental products.

• Department of Agriculture. Develops dietary guidelines, provides nutrition information, answers questions on food safety, and takes reports on food-related illnesses and product complaints.

• Food and Drug Administration. Takes reports on adverse reactions to drugs, medical devices, and food (except meat or poultry). The FDA offers articles on health, medications, medical devices, cosmetics, nutrition, and recall information on food and drugs.

For information on where to file an airline complaint, see my post of Feb. 18, 2008, Frustrated with an airline? Here's how to file a complaint.

Top 10 boomer sites offer consumer information, job lists, reflections, social opportunities

A PC Magazine article offers a list of what the magazine thinks  are the 10 best sites for baby boomers.

The sites are:

1. BoomerTowne.com. A social network, with information and access to resources, to help connect Boomers who have similar interests, demands, and lifestyles.
2. I Remember JFK. A blog dedicated to the reflections and life of the boomer generation.
3. TeeBeeDee. Short for to be determined, a social network that focuses on helping mid-lifers feel like they can grow by sharing experiences and information with each other.
4. BoomerGirl. A place for boomer women to find news, information, and community, including clubs such as The Single Files, D.I.V.O.R.C.E., Menopause Mixer, Bob Dylan said, and The Body Politic.
5. AARP.org (beta). The online version of the AARP Magazine, divided into categories of Health, Money, Leisure, Make a Difference, Family, and Online Community.
6. Retired Brains. A job search engine for older boomers, seniors, retirees, and those about to retire, with options to choose a Career Channel (construction, education, PR, and others), research that industry, search the job openings, and build a portfolio.
7. BOOMj. A lifestyle and social network for baby boomers and generation Jones that includes articles on health, travel, finance, decorating, cooking, and using technology.
8. Boomer411. A news-aggregating site is like Digg for the older set, where you can bookmark and share favorite content, as well as submit content to be voted on by other users.
9. eons. An online community where boomers can set up profiles, join groups, share photos and videos, and play brain games.
10. Retirement Living TV. The online version of the Retirement Living TV channel, with health tips, discussion boards, and a video library that features bargain retirement places, interviews with famous boomers, and digital life stories.

Let me know if you’re a regular on any of these sites, other boomer sites, or if you sign up for one. I think I’ll try one, maybe BoomerTowne.com.

Tomorrow on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide: Web sites to empower boomer consumers.

Tea group offers list of research studies on tea's benefits

When I was doing research on green tea, I found a general statement about the health benefits of tea on the Web site of the Tea Association of the USA Inc. I e-mailed the association to see what their position is on the topic.

Joe Simrany, president of the association, sent a fact sheet called “Tea and Health: An Overview of Research on the Potential Health Benefits of Tea.”

I also asked him if there was any new information on the rejection of a petition by the federal Food and Drug Administration on the request by a Japanese company to state on labels that green tea reduces the risk of heart attacks.

Simrany wrote:

The rejection had nothing to do with a lack of evidence as opposed to a lack of clinical trials (using people), which are required to gain an official health claim from the FDA.  The Tea Association of the USA did not file the previous two petitions seeking a health claim because we are fully aware of the lack of clinical studies. When the evidence is available we will certainly prepare a petition to go forward.

Twenty years ago there were fewer than a half dozen scientific studies being conducted globally on the presumed health benefits of tea. For the last three years there have been approximately 900 scientific studies being conducted on tea each year. If there was not sufficient reason for scientists to believe that there were health benefits in tea then do you really think that all this time and money would be devoted to the research?

It was unfortunate that the two previous petitions were prematurely submitted by eager tea companies. However, their rejection has absolutely no consequence on the ultimate value of tea as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The Tea Association of the USA is a New York-based trade association representing the tea industry.

Most baby boomers embrace Internet use

More than 80 percent of baby boomers use the Internet, as do half of Americans over age 60.

Nearly one-third of all online boomers -- 21 million people -- have been using the Internet for more than 10 years, according to a recent study by Focalyst, a market research firm that is a joint venture of AARP Services Inc. and The Kantar Group. More than 7 million people born before 1946 have been online for more than a decade, as well.

"People associate the Internet and computers with youth, but it was the Baby Boom Generation that had the discretionary income 20 years ago to buy the first personal computers and lead the early adoption of the Internet," said David van Nostrand, Focalyst's chief research officer.

The study found that 33 million baby boomers use the Internet daily, along with 10 million people born before 1946. While e-mailing is the primary activity of these users, they’re also going online to make travel arrangements, check the news, find health information, bank, and shop.

About 30 percent of the baby boomers shop online a few times a month -- the same percentage as those born between 1965 and 1988. As younger members of the Baby Boom Generation enter their 50s, their incomes are likely to increase and, with that, their Internet usage and activities, the report predicts.

Regardless of age, online shoppers share similar levels of concern about identity theft, misuse of financial information, and not getting what was ordered, the study found. However, these fears don’t stop the vast majority from shopping online.

Tuesday's post on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will cover Internet resources you can use to get information to help you get what you want in life.

Ralph Nader and me

I love Ralph Nader. I always have. I always will.

It was my dad who sparked my interest in consumerism. He watched every penny, and he complained –- loudly –- when he received poor service or bought a defective product.

When I went to Washington State University during the 1960s, I studied consumer economics. I was hooked.

Those were heady times. The Consumer Movement was in an upswing. We had:

• The passage of motor vehicle safety laws, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the clear air and water acts.

• The launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environment Protection Agency, and Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• The recall of millions of defective motor vehicles.

• Access to government through the Freedom of Information Act.

Ralph Nader was a dynamic, articulate leader of most of these efforts.

Nader first made headlines in 1965 with his book “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a critical indictment of the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws passed in 1966.

He has built a national network of citizen groups that have had a major impact in areas ranging from tax reform to nuclear energy to health and safety programs.

I’ve seen Ralph Nader speak four times and interviewed him once.

When he came to Washington state last year to talk about his book, “The Seventeen Traditions,” I was lucky enough to have my picture taken with him. The book is about 17 traditions Nader absorbed from his parents, his siblings, and the people in his community, and the lessons they offer for today's society.

Twice, Ralph Nader has run for president and garnered less than 5 percent of the vote. On Feb. 28, he announced his third presidential campaign.

Why is he running? He believes John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama are too closely tied to corporate interests. See www.votenader.org/issues.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist