I trust the FDA (and the rest of the developed world's equivalents; when one agency fails the others may still be of use, like with the 737-MAX and the FAA) regulatory process to some extent - they fairly regularly reject meds Big Pharma would really like to have approved - and I have a good relationship with my doctor who winds up doing the prescribing.

One of my meds is $18k for a mililiter of fluid every 12 weeks, so I'd be happy to see some pricing reform.

The skepticism should extend beyond big pharma to anyone trying to sell healthcare products or treatments. There is good reason for the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Act.

What gets me is how people will distrust pharmaceutical companies - whose marketing claims are at least regulated by the FDA - and then blindly trust nutraceutical companies, random streamers (i.e. spon con), etc.

That’s a strange straw man i see often. People say this but I’ve yet to meet a single person who trusts big pharma. Anywhere. Who exactly are you referring to?

I think many of us trust that the system of trials set up with first world regulatory agencies is a whole lot better than the previous method of vetting drugs (I.e. the snake oil method of most of human history). When I take a drug, there’s a high (but not 100%) chance it is not unsafe and is effective, relative to what would exist without regulation. And that’s about it.

But even that is merely trust in the regulators to do a better job on the whole than no regulators. It’s got little to do with trusting pharma cos. All I trust them to do is maximize profits like any other corp and I don’t think anyone else trusts them any more.

They also trust politicians. So nothing new here.

Nah, people blindly trust "The Science".

It's just that "The Science" happens to be funded by big pharma, and only releases results that are in line with what the boards of big pharma want people to think.

Edit: and of course, any science besides "The Science" is "misinformation" and "conspiracy theories".