- in the US system, treating symptoms instead of the underlying cause is easier for the doctor and more profitable in the long run.
- "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"; less patients that wait until pain is unbearable (due to its cost) which then need different treatment.
- less conflict of interest that affect what doctors prescribe
- there is only one buyer, with a strong negotiation position, potential profits are capped
- "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"; less patients wait until pain is unbearable and as a result doctors are inundated a lot of mildly sick people (who probably didn't need a doctor).
- Treating symptoms instead of the underlying cause is easier for the doctor who is inundated with people that have mild sniffles and aches.
Hence, a lot of my German friends were prescribed "spa time" in the hopes that it would clear itself up before getting a "real" prescription if spa time didn't work.