Whether people like to admit it or not, the health care system is greatly influenced by pharmaceutical companies.

The latest development concerning the cholesterol medications Vytorin and Zetia is not surprising. For more than two years, patients were taking prescribed medications that failed to accomplish their intended function, which was to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart disease. In most cases, the drugs accomplished nothing. The question is, why is research just being done now? Why are these results just being discovered and released now? The answers to these questions can be found in the nature of the pharmaceutical industry. Since the years that Vytorin and Zetia were introduced, $5 billion in sales revenue was generated.

Pharmaceutical industries are making billions from the sale and use of their drugs. Prescription drugs are being treated like merchandise, for Vytorin and Zetia alone cost $200 million in direct advertising to people.

It is time that people come together and push for governmental reform. Change needs to take place involving the direct role of pharmaceutical companies in the health care system. Doctors are under extreme pressure from these companies to prescribe their drugs even when reliable, scientific data about their effects are not available.

We, as a society, must start a movement away from the dependence on drugs. Even though drugs may offer quick fixes, the long-term effects can de detrimental. Once a patient starts a drug treatment, they are connected to it for the rest of their lives under constant threat of their negative side effects. Instead, a movement toward natural remedies is needed. People need to realize that many health-related conditions can simply be solved through improved diet and increased exercise. Even more importantly, doctors need to be aware of this as well. Not only can healthy eating and increased physical activity reduce the risk of heart disease but improve many aspects of health that can make daily function easier and more enjoyable.

Too many doctors are quick to prescribe drugs, instead of prescribing "improved lifestyle." The benefits of a healthy life style far exceed the benefits of a pill.