ExecutiveMom's Safety and Self Defense Blog

Understanding the Vulnerabilities of Social Networking: Teens

BE SAFE ON myspace, PLEASE.
I have really enjoyed my journey into MySpace and have had the pleasure of networking with so many incredible people that I would never have been able to communicate with in the past but what about Teens?

My 13 year old would like a Myspace of her own. My answer - no!! Definitely NO. But that's because I am an over protective mother who has spent the last 18 eyars listening to her husband's stories about criminals and sexual predators. Those he has supervised as a parole officer and those he has sent back to jail or has had threaten his life. Our life is a little different than most....

We still love the safe kid's email systems that we can track but it limits her....I sit and read blogs and book reviews with her on line....very time consuming for me but my choice....

So how do you as a concerned parent discuss safety on the internet with your kids? Places like MySpace? Some suggestions follow:

Social Networking Sites:     Safety Tips for Teens

You've probably learned a long list of important safety and privacy lessons already: Look both ways before crossing the street; buckle up; hide your diary where your nosy brother can't find it; don't talk to strangers.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, is urging kids to add one more lesson to the list: Don't post information about yourself online that you don't want the whole world to know. The Internet is the world's biggest information exchange: many more people could see your information than you intend, including your parents, your teachers, your employer, the police and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous.

Social networking sites have added a new factor to the friends of friends equation. By providing information about yourself and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant messaging, you can communicate, either within a limited community, or with the world at large. But while the sites can increase your circle of friends, they also can increase your exposure to people who have less-than-friendly intentions. Youve heard the stories about people who were stalked by someone they met online, had their identity stolen, or had their computer hacked.

Your Safety's at Stake
The FTC suggests these tips for socializing safely online:

* Think about how different sites work before deciding to join a site. Some sites will allow only a defined community of users to access posted content; others allow anyone and everyone to view postings.

* Think about keeping some control over the information you post. Consider restricting access to your page to a select group of people, for example, your friends from school, your club, your team, your community groups, or your family.

* Keep your information to yourself. Don't post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or bank and credit card account numbers and don't post other peoples information, either.

Be cautious about posting information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline. This could include the name of your school, sports team, clubs, and where you work or hang out.

* Make sure your screen name doesn't say too much about you.   Dont use your name, your age, or your hometown. Even if you think your screen name makes you anonymous, it doesnt take a genius to combine clues to figure out who you are and where you can be found.

* Post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing and knowing about you. Many people can see your page, including your parents, your teachers, the police, the college you might want to apply to next year, or the job you might want to apply for in five years.

* Remember that once you post information online, you can't take it back. Even if you delete the information from a site, older versions exist on other peoples computers.

* Consider not posting your photo. It can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not be happy about. If you do post one, ask yourself whether its one your mom would display in the living room.

* Flirting with strangers online could have serious consequences.   Because some people lie about who they really are, you never really know who youre dealing with.

* Be wary if a new online friend wants to meet you in person.    Before you decide to meet someone, do your research: Ask whether any of your friends know the person, and see what background you can dig up through online search engines. If you decide to meet them, be smart about it: Meet in a public place, during the day, with friends you trust. Tell an adult or a responsible sibling where youre going, and when you expect to be back.

* Trust your gut if you have suspicions.    If you feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable because of something online, tell an adult you trust and report it to the police and the social networking site. You could end up preventing someone else from becoming a victim.

For More Information
To learn more about staying safe online, visit the following organizations:

Federal Trade Commission
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

GetNetWise
GetNetWise is a public service sponsored by Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations to help ensure that Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences. The GetNetWise coalition wants Internet users to be just one click away from the resources they need to make informed decisions about their and their family's use of the Internet.

Internet Keep Safe Coalition
iKeepSafe.org, home of Faux Paw the Techno Cat, is a coalition of 49 governors/first spouses, law enforcement, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other associations dedicated to helping parents, educators, and caregivers by providing tools and guidelines to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology. The organizations vision is to see generations of children worldwide grow up safely using technology and the Internet.

i-SAFE
Founded in 1998 and endorsed by the U.S. Congress, i-SAFE is a non-profit foundation dedicated to protecting the online experiences of youth everywhere. i-SAFE incorporates classroom curriculum with dynamic community outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, and concerned adults to make the Internet a safer place. Join them today in the fight to safeguard children's online experience.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 
NCMEC is a private, non-profit organization that helps prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; helps find missing children; and assists victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

National Crime Prevention Council ;
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur. Among many crime prevention issues, NCPC addresses Internet Safety with kids and parents and public service advertising under the National Citizens Crime Prevention Campaign symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog  and his Take A Bite Out Of Crime.

National Cyber Security Alliance
NCSA is a non-profit organization that provides tools and resources to empower home users, small businesses, and schools, colleges, and universities to stay safe online. A public-private partnership, NCSA members include the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Trade Commission, and many private-sector corporations and organizations.

staysafe
staysafe.org is an educational site intended to help consumers understand both the positive aspects of the Internet as well as how to manage a variety of safety and security issues that exist online.

Wired Safety
WiredSafety.org is an Internet safety and help group. Comprised of unpaid volunteers around the world, WiredSafety.org provides education, assistance, and awareness on all aspects of cybercrime and abuse, privacy, security, and responsible technology use. It is also the parent group of Teenangels, FBI-trained teens and preteens who promote Internet safety.

Enjoy the internet with your children - it is a very useful tool when used properly.   surfing....

What are your thoughts on the issue? I would love to hear them....

Online Security

Security experts suggest avoiding using your mother's maiden name, your spouse's name, your dog's name, birth dates, addresses, or basically any word in any language as a password. Jens Weber-Jahnke, associate professor at the University of Victoria's computer science department and co-founder of the Pervasive Primary Care Informatics Laboratory, recommends combining a random string of at least eight characters, and to use more than just letters. Do not use the same password for everything.

“Somebody should not be able to guess your password.”

But Weber-Jahnke realizes that creating a guess-proof password can conflict with our ability to remember it.

A decade or two ago, we didn’t need many passwords. But as we rely more on computers and technology, our password and code collections grow. It’s easy to hit 20 or more.

We use passwords for online banking and ATM machines. On the Internet we use them to connect with clubs, businesses, libraries, organizations or collect miles for flights and you’ll need passwords.

Want to track your utility bills? Use a password.

University and college students need passwords to access and send information to their institutions.

Then there’s work. You may need a password to sign onto your computer, one for e-mail, another for the Internet and more. The list just gets bigger.

As our password collections grow, it becomes difficult to remember them. That’s why so many websites ask, “Forgot your password?”

Often, you’ll be asked a question specific to you and the password will arrive shortly by e-mail.   I was startled the other day to be asked the name of my daughter’s hamster. Hammy is long gone and I had to think a while to remember he was originally called Charlotte.

A recent reservation with the airlines asked me for a new password of between eight and 20 letters. I just typed the dog’s name in twice. Couldn’t be bothered with anything more complex. I know, that’s a terrible password.
Microsoft agrees. It just earned a “weak” grade on its “password checker” service on its website.

Weber-Jahnke said to use more than letters when creating a password.
Look on your keyboard to see a selection of numbers and symbols.
Security experts recommend using upper and lower case letters and inserting upper-case letters within the password, not just at the beginning. Something easy to pronounce or symbolizing a sentence can help with recall.

It’s not a good idea to use the same password for everything. And remember various sites have different levels of security.

Weber-Jahnke uses one password for banking. He will “guard like a treasure” these types of critical passwords. He is less concerned about using passwords used in a blog.

When it comes to storing our passwords, many of us are sloppy.
One in three people jot down their computer passwords, weakening their security, said a 2006 report from Nucleus Research, a global information technologies company.

It suggests companies turn toward more advanced security, such as biometrics, which uses technology to identify individuals. Voice recognition and thumbprint scanners are examples of biometrics.

“The problem with security is there is always a trade-off between security and convenience,” Weber-Jahnke said.
“Some computer programs make it easier to store and manage passwords, They require a master password to get access to those stored in a database.
“Don’t forget to change your passwords every so often,” he said.

Also, think about whether your laptop is ever left on its own where others could have access, he said. And be aware of the possibility of eavesdropping if using a public wireless network, and of security risks that could happen at Internet cafes.

Passwords come under three main types of attack, said Weber-Jahnke. The “brute force” computer attack program tries out possible combinations of characters. The longer and more complex the password, the better prepared you’ll be.

The “dictionary” computer attack can be successful if you use words, names or strings of words that make sense, he said.
“They still occur quite often.”
These are a problem because people tend to use names or words or sentences in passwords.

Then there’s “leakage,” which is a human or socially engineered attack. Leakage refers to examples such as if we share a password with someone or write our password on a sticky note attached to our computer.

It can also take place through fraud.

Technology can be wonderful in many ways but remember - and if you don't know someone sending you and email asking for information don't give it or call the company to make sure the request is legitimate and do it over the phone. Don't lose your identity needlessly....Any other ideas to pass along to our readers?  BE SAFE....Have a wonderful week!

A Heartfelt Thank You

Being the sales person that I am, my friends encouraged me to network to get my pharmaceutical story published and available to the public to see what life is really like within an industry that so many seek to be a part of.

Networking made me a success in an industry that I dedicated 18 years to, why not with my new venture?  I wasn't sure how I would be received or if anyone would be willing to help.  Authors....such a busy life.  I am an avid reader, one novel after another, loving a variety of story lines.....would they have time to reply?

I can't thank everyone enough for the nice letters, responses, help....incredible!  What fantastic people are behind the novels I love so much! 

If you love to read as much as I do - please take a moment to support some of these wonderful people!!

1. Forever Our Angels - Hannah
2.Creepin - Monica Jackson
3. Hide - Lisa Gardner
4. Chosen Prey - Cheyenne McCray

5. This Can't Be Love - Patricia
6. Between the Sheets - Barbara Pierce
7. One Night with a Goddess - Judy McCoy
8. Tribulation House - Chris Well

Have a relaxing, safe weekend!

Today's Quote....

Today's Quote

George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles.
— Author Unknown

If you have a day off, enjoy.  I'm going to enjoy mine with my kids - at 38 degrees it feels like we are having a heat wave here in the midwest!  Take advantage of every moment you are given....

How Romantic Are You?

Feeling under the weather today - getting ready for surgery on my back next week, wanting to go party for mardi gras tomorrow but snow and ice are making it freezing here - worth it for beads?  If only the beer was free....

Anyway, here is a fun way to end the Valentine's week and start a fun, relaxing weekend!

If romance could be packaged, it would likely bear the Surgeon General's warning, "This state of mind may be hazardous to your health," for many anardent lover is dissolved in the bubbly elixir of unbridled infatuation.

Click here.

Attorney's Free Advice

Attorney's Free Advice

Received this email from my corporate attorney, little sister, today - seen it before but always nice in our busy days to remind ourselves of little things to do to keep ourselves safe: ATTORNEY'S ADVICE -- NO CHARGE Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! 1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED". 2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number,and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it. 3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks(DUH!). You can add it if it is necessary but, if you have it printed, anyone can get it. 4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards, etc.. Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know. 5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll-free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them. 6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc. were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important of all (I never even thought to do this.). 7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the aler t. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks. Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc, has been stolen: 1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 3.) Trans Union : 1- 800-680-7289 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271 Hopefully that's helpful an for more safety advice and classes or personal safety items please click here to visit my web site.

VD - Be Thankful!

Is the Week half-over or half-left?

It's both, but which one you focus on largely determines whether you feel down about what's gone, or UP about what's left!

Is it a sunRISE or a sunSET? Whatever you think, YOU'RE RIGHT!

So focus on all the time yet to be enjoyed and... ENJOY!

Happy Valentine's Day to All - with or without a sweetie - take the time to be thankful for All the Love and Blessings you have in your life today!

MyMackSpace.com

Blogging = free psychiatric treatment for someone unemployed

I guess I've been on a rampage lately and that's not the original purpose of my blog - it was to promote safety and awareness and help others - but it seems to be very comforting to get out all the outrage and anxiety over a lost job - one that is a clearly documented case against my corporation - a big industry that just doesn't care about it's treatment of it's employees or the effects is has on the life and death of the citizens who depend on them for their very survival when sick.

It is truly hard for me to understand the rational behind the type of treatment that is allowed in the pharmacuetical industry - and I'm sure there are many other industries like my own, I'm just familiar with their structures.  I don't understand the "at will" laws of our state that allow blatant discrimination against age, sex and disability - yet I am expected to show up to work every day and perform at 210 % to make them money or I'm at fault?

Any feed back on how to vent this frustration or share your experiences would be great therapy since I can't afford a psychiatrist right now.....okay, lots of friends from the years selling to them who are just tired of listening to me - they can't wait for my surgery next so I will shut up for a minute....

http://capwiz.com/congressorg/sbx/f/?aid=9370246&r=1

Reputations for Sale? Controversial Vaccine

Dear Governor Perry:

I am sure that you are over whelmed with letters and the media coverage generated by your decision to execute a solution to a problem before the problem was identified! I do applaud you, a governor so interested in public health, that you bypassed all other regulatory and legislative channels to produce an Executive Order for mandatory vaccination of all girls between 9-13. But without prior education, in this case, there is controversy.

Thanks to vaccines, devastating diseases such as smallpox and polio have been virtually eradicated in the

USA

. That wouldn't have happened if states hadn't required immunizations for serious contagious viruses before a child can attend school. Gardasil may well be the huge medical breakthrough it appears to be. But a rush to make it mandatory, less than eight months after FDA approval, could have detrimental consequences.

Among the reasons to move more cautiously:

• The history of new drugs and vaccines is that unexpected adverse events might not be detected until after millions of people have used them, and the FDA does a poor job of tracking post-approval effects.

Generally, 51% of FDA-Approved drugs have serious adverse effects not detected prior to approval. USA Today reported that last year the pharmaceutical industry "faced the most product liability lawsuits of any other industry".

Industry                          Cases
Pharmaceutical              17,027
Manufacturing                3,236
Chemicals                      2,875
Construction                  2,717
Financial Services          2,636
Insurance                       1,926
Source: Thomson West 



Merck's own Vioxx, a blockbuster painkiller drug, was withdrawn in 2004, five years after it was introduced, after studies revealed significant heart risks. A vaccine made by Wyeth, to prevent a highly contagious rotavirus that can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting in children, was withdrawn in 1999, just over a year after it was approved, because of safety concerns.

Other products with legal problems include: Wyeth's Prempro, Premarin and fen-phen; Pfizer's Neurontin; Astra Zeneca's Seroquel; and Eli Lilly's Zyprexa where the company did a cost benefit analysis, and decided to hold off admitting the truth about Zyprexa, so they could earn lots of money in the meantime, before the reporcussions finally surfaced.


So far, every indication is that Gardasil, the world's first anti-cancer vaccine, has only rare and minor side effects. Clinical trials of more than 11,000 females ages 9 to 26 showed it was 100% effective in preventing cervical cancersl inked to two types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease. These strains cause about 70% of the cervical cancer cases. So it would not eliminate the need for vaccinated women to have regular Pap smears to detect cancerous cells caused by other HPV strains. HPV is also the virus that causes genital warts. No one will know the complete picture until more people are vaccinated over a period of year. At the moment, Gardasil is so new that scientists aren't sure how long it's effective for.

Merck also toughts that cervical cancer is the second-leading cancer among women around the world. They are right but 80% of cervial cancers occur in 3rd world countries - those that would benefit the most, can't afford it. Here in the

US

, The American Cancer Society estimates that 11,150 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the

US

this year and approximately 3,670 will die. That's .77% of diagnosed and .65% of cancer deaths. By comparison, the society estimates that 178,840 American women will get diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and 40,460 will die from it.
This 3 series vaccine is extremely expensive at ..$360 compared to $42.85 per dose for the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.


• Second, HPV is spread only by intimate sexual contact. It isn't in the same class of contagious diseases such as measles, mumps and diphtheria that can spread easily to children in the classroom. Because some parents are uneasy about vaccinating pre-teens for a sexually transmitted disease, the issues need to be handled delicately.


• Finally, before mandates are set, both the government and the pharmaceutical industry need to take this opportunity to motivate public discussion and education. This could be an opportunity for a change in the public image of vaccines, medications and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

In the last few years this industry which has also saved numberous lives with its new develpments has been deceitful and manipulative causing lack of public trust to grow stronger. In doing so, many physicians find that patients may abruptly stop taking medications that they need to survive. To be honest, if we read the Prescribing Information for aspirin, none of us would take one. Products just need time to see how they will work and help our community. These companies used to function on this principal of safety and caring for the consumers who supported them. Today, the attitude seems to be damn the public and children's lives when money is concerned. The FDA needs to be restored to its vitally important mission of portecting the welfare of the American Public.


I am a mother of a 13 year old daughter, who has had all of her immunizations up to this point in time. I have also had her vaccinated with

Years ago, as representatives, we were able to do our own literature searches at the local medical university library and present physicians with outside, unbiased information. We did our own managed care contracting and retail selling and product shelf stocking as well as hospital sales and residency program responsibiltiy. 

Today, reps are given the specific wording that best represents the company's positioning, small territories and limited physician access. If a visual aid initiates too many negative questions from the Physician, the bar graph, product errors and so forth are reworked for the next sales quarter in a way that presents the information in a more favorable light. I soon learned the manipulative advantage of semantics in research is called statistics. (And in medical studies, statistics can be spun any way you want them to be spun. If they can't be spun to the company's advantage, the study is lost or buried so far behind other material it is never found or seen).

The goal of the pharmaceutical industry is to increase its profits, which includes "persuading physicians to prescribe more of the most expensive drugs." Continually rising drug costs are not in the best interests of the patient population as a whole, and the most expensive or most heavily marketed drug may not be the best alternative for any given patient. Over the years as my knowledge base grew from the specialized training I received, I started to better understand the drugs and the effect they had on the body systems. I also became more adept at interpreting clinical trial data and laboratory results. I realized that drugs which were nominally effective were touted as phenomenal and side effects and drug interactions were minimalized.

I observed drugs being over utilized, over dosed, and improperly promoted "off label" for indications that were yet untested and / or unapproved. I watched as year after year the FDA approved dangerous drugs that were later removed from the market. I observed the defensive cover-ups and posturing employed by the industry to save their own reputations. But most importantly, I witnessed the demise of fair-balanced education in medicine.

This once prestigious industry has left me with many haunting images – disturbing experiences that have completely altered my perception of medicine and the institutions that guard its ethical practice. I started awakening to the truth about the greed, deception, and corruption that permeated my industry.

Center for Public Integrity. The industry had 1,274 lobbyists – more than two for every member of Congress. They are Powerful!

In my years in the field, I have been sexually propositioned in exchange for business (in graphic detail), I have been groped and kissed on the lips by professional medical speakers before they left town and this is just a taste of the inappropriate behavior I have been subjected to with no recourse or concern from my management as long as numbers were coming in.

I have become a part-time caterer working over 60 hours a week and sometimes more with weekend seminars.  My days begin with breakfast and grand rounds meetings and end with several late night dinner programs a week. After that, I get to go home (forget the bed time stories with the kids) and do paperwork until 2 or 3 am – generating reports that management will never read.  Since we work out of our homes, we are on call 365 days a year 24/7. 

I have worked hard. I have been honest on sales call reporting and expense reporting (something many sales reps take advantage of).  I have subscribed to numerous medical journals and prided myself for my product and disease state knowledge in my areas of expertise.  In the end, all the hard work, dedication, and loyalty meant nothing when the chips were down.  The companies always look out for their own best interests – even when they caused the issues and problems. Instead of supporting their staff that is making them money, they support management. Sadly, I have watched as CYA has become the rule of the day and ethics have gone right out the window!

Don't fool yourself into thinking it's the representatives and physicians who are all to blame in this disastrous downfall of our health care industry. The

United States

health care system is killing Americans at an alarming rate, even though we spend over fifteen percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) on health care. Millions of children throughout the nation suffer needless pain because their parents lack health insurance and cannot afford to take them to the doctor. Millions of the elderly suffer similar pain because they cannot afford the prescription medication they rely upon to survive.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, our health care outcomes ranked only fifteenth among twenty-five industrialized nations worldwide. Adverse effects from prescription drugs have become the third-leading killer of Americans. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives. We trust our doctors to inform us and our government to protect us from medical corporations that may put profits ahead of consumer health and safety.

But the fine line walked by the FDA between the interests of the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the American public has continually been crossed. The result is the unleashing of an unprecedented number of lethal drugs on the

U.S.

market!Since 1998, drug companies have spent $758 million on lobbying – more than any other industry according to government records analyzed by the

It's very interesting to note that there are many ties between yourself, Governor Perry, to Merck and to "Women in Goverment", a group that Merck paid to lobby for this mind-boggling order. The Associated Press reports that one of Merck's three lobbyists in

Texas

is Mike Toomey, your former chief of staff. And, sir, that your current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for "Women in Government". You also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during your re-election campaign. Do you not see this as a conflict of interest rather than looking out for the best interests of your constituents?

Over the years, these lobbyists have been very successful, demonstrating that the industry knows politics as well as it knows chemicals.Due to the lax regulatory environment that the pharmaceutical industry has operated in, it is no wonder that they have come under increased public scrutiny.For Merck, this is a way to make back there money that was lost on Vioxx.

Just as they treat the representatives without any word or explanation of what is being done until we are directed to do something (for years we've sworn that someone in head quarters is just playing with a dart board and our direction is followed from there) – leaving us to sell "in the dark" just as they have left the American Public wondering about this big, sudden push for Merck's vaccine.

It is not fair to anyone to believe that we would have such blind trust in them when they have continued to look out for their own interests rather than that of their employees or the general public.

In this case, it is important that parents have a full understanding of the complexities of the problem between HPV and cervical cancer, along with rates of sexual activity among teens. In that way, they understand the problem so that when the solution presents itself, by whatever mode, there is a higher level of acceptance. Educating the public after the fact is much harder.

If the general population perceives BIG pharma is pushing mandatory medication on them through intensive lobbying efforts and campaign contributions the value of the genuine public health contribution being made can be easily overshadowed by resentment - be this through Mercks push for vaccinations or the Bush Administration's "New Freedom Initiative" (a program designed to subject every school age child in this country to psychological testing. This is also an interesting point following the then Governor's launch of TMAP - Texas Medication Algorithm Project - a vehicle that catapulted psychtropic drugs to blockbuster status. This is another area for personal choice between parent, physician and each individual child - not legislation but that's another story!) That does the pharmaceutical industry nor the general public any good.

It is essential that public relations communicate before lobbying begins.The sad reality for me is that I have spent the last 18 years contributing every waking moment to my profession. One that used to be a large caring family. One I was proud to say I was a part of.

Over the years, I earned incredible trips for top sales. I drove extensively to cover large territories, I mentored, trained, worked with managed health care, did in services and educational programs for nursing staff and medical residents and volunteered with a variety of local organizations and fund raisers. Including working with children at the local epilepsy camp, helping the local Alzheimer's Association

Gardasil. As a baby, before it was mandated, I pushed to have her vaccinated for Chicken Pox and Hepatitis as well. I am also a Pharmaceutical Representative. I have been trained in boot camp style about vaccinations, medications and disease state knowledge. After 18 years in this industry, I have learned more than my share about the functioning of the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Coverage of this issue in the media states the fact that Merck is actively lobbying in other states for mandatory coverage. The situation in your state points to the need for a delicate balance between direct lobbying and public affairs efforts.

Coverage of this issue in the media has also given Merck tons of free publicity - good or bad, people are talking about them and their drug, giving them more than and DTC advertisement could. Instead why don't we spend our time education people on the disease states and how to provide over all medical care and prevention?

As a pharmaceutical Representative I know how these companies work. As a member of the SKF, BMS and Novartis teams, I received extensive and phenomenal training. As a specialty and hospital representative and trainer, I participated in preceptorship learning programs that medical students participate in. Viewing surgeries, heart transplants and learning about various laboratories and testing. I spent years training with and learning from top, internationally reconized and honored physicians learning about epilepsy, movement disorders, alzheimers and psychosis (including bi-polar disease, depression and schizophrenia. I launched Risperdal, Paxil, Exelon, Zocor, Pravachol, Engerix-B vaccine and Augmentin into the market place.

In their own right, each product has made a difference in the treatment of a specific disease state. But, using Paxil as an example, I remember my selling message from 1993 - Paxil does not cause sexual dysfunction like Zoloft or withdrawal isues and effects on sleep like Prozac. Today, hundreds of thousands of patients later - Paxil is one of the worst for these 2 side effects. It takes time and usage for side effects to appear. Because of this training, I can go head- to -head with any Physician out there and can hold my own on disease state and product knowledge in my areas of expertise and I am greatful for the experience.

As a younger representative, I remember the pride and exuberance I felt at national meetings in which the loud speakers pounded out motivating themed music. The medical researchers and marketing managers gave exciting emotional speeches. I soaked in every word with anticipation and awe. I believed I was going to help people. That was my goal in life! This was 1989 and there were very few of us and even fewer women....

After years of these motivational sales meetings though, I realized that manufacturers instructed their representatives to promote the company's products in a given manner and with a particular focus. This is called marketing direction. Each promotional period there is a "tag line" or special message that the representative is supposed to drive home with the Physician. Sales literature and visual aids are all geared toward the promotional message, and they are utilized in role plays until the presentations flow naturally.

Representatives are taught through boot camp style training programs to handle and minimize the objections physicians might have. Many were weeded out due to stress. All Exams had to be passed at 90% the first time around or you were put on an airplane home. Today, the exams are on line, open book and most reps have the answers from previous classes.  ion raise funds and dressing up at Christmas as Mrs Claus with my partner to hand out donated gifts we collected to young patients at our Children's Hospital I have spent my life volunteering, educating, entertaining and helping others.

Today, there are approximately 100,000 pharmaceutical representatives in the

United States

- triple the number of when I started in the industry. They are still needed but after weeding out the clueless Barbies and Kens who know nothing except company propaganda. Face to Face Selling is still the most effective method for pharmaceutical sales. Yet, I'm sure as Pfizer begins to cut staff the first to go will be the field sales staff that work hard to support the company rather than higher paid managers who really have no function within the companies.

Do not forget that over the years, these companies have done increadible things for the American Public. They spend approximately $35 billion dollars for R&D, $15 billion for sampels and $12 billion for patient assistance programs. That's not counting the untold billions that Big Pharma has donated to charity. Each company, I have belonged to has REQUIRED representatives to give generously to the

United Way

amother other charities like supporting after Katrina. THEY JUST NEED TO FIND THEIR WAY BACK to a mutually beneficial environment with the public.

Our system of medical treatment is based on a sacred circle of trust. Big Pharma's money has corrupted the process and destroyed this trust!

Sadly, I have had to come to the realization that I've contributed to lining the pockets of a multitude of uncaring CEOs who are guaranteed "golden parachutes" should something happen to their company position and may have unknowingly caused harm to the thousands of trusting, innocent people I had started out to help.

On top of all of this, I am now unemployed due to discrimination against me as a result of an automobile accident during work hours - while bringing in top sales and money for Sepracor pharmaceuticals, I was harassed by management – reported it to HR and top management and was then retaliated against and terminated.

I have two children and a disabled husband that I care for. We have no income as I wait for neck surgery to have 2 of 6 injured discs fused. We have no insurance due to my husband's pre-existing condition. We can't afford the $1500 a month for COBRA on top of our other bills with no income. In addition my husband has over $1000 a month in prescription bills alone.

Sadly, I'm not alone. This industry would rather spend money on lawsuits than function with professionalism and integrity. Ultimately, we will all pay with higher drug prices. I can't afford more expensive drugs – Can You?!

We don't live lavishly. We represent the middle class. We work hard for what we have. We pay our taxes and our bills. We don't waste money. We save for our children's college education and retirement. We donate our time and resources to the

United Way

and our Church to help the less fortunate. We value honesty, education and hard work.

Maybe, Governor Perry, we should take this $360 / vaccine cost and apply it towards a total health care program so all of our

US

citizens – those with pre-existing conditions or not – can have access to affordable, quality, reliable health care. Thank you for your time -

Staying Alive in Today's Corporate World

Yesterday I sat with my husband in a Physician's office waiting for Botox and Cortisone injections in my neck, shoulder and back. All for an injury left from a worker's compensation automobile accident. As I sat and waited I over heard the nursing saying, "Jane, the doctor will see you now". The impeccably well groomed, cheerleading, young blonde wearing a stylish suit with a low cut blouse and high heels was quite a contrast to me and the other sweat suit clad patients waiting to see the doctor.

Jane quickly gathered her detail bag and box of doughnuts. Grinning and chattering with the receptionist at the window, she deposited her treats and a handful of scratch pads and ink pens bearing her company's logo and drug name at the nurse's station then swept past the exam rooms to the sample closet. I could hear the nurse's gleeful reception and greeting in the hallway before the door closed. This representative was obviously one of their favorites.

I had been waiting over 45 minutes in uncomfortable, uncontrollable pain to see my physician. Some of the other patients waiting had been there when I arrived. Yet, Jane had gotten here only ten minutes or so ago, had left her business card at the receptionist window and she was already in the back talking to the Physician. Probably has a lunch appointment I thought to myself….. just then the delivery boy stumbled into the office with his arms full of pizzas.

As I looked up from the latest issue of People, I allowed myself to reflect back over my career. It seemed like a lifetime ago when I had been young, naive, and ambitious enough to be one of the best in the pharmaceutical business. Just a decade ago, Jane could have easily been me.

In 1989, I had joined the pharmaceutical industry at the age of 23. I was right out of college and ready to make my mark on the corporate world. Raised in a family of medical professionals, I joined the ranks of pharmaceutical sales representatives. When I started in the industry in the late 1980's, only 1/3 of the industry was women. The companies hired intelligent good looking women. We were able to get past more receptionists, get to see more Physicians and were paid less. This was a win - win situation for the manufacturers.

I was trained and indoctrinated in a semi military style. In fact, basic sales training classes are much like boot camp and are designed to weed out the faint of heart or easily intimidated, as working with the egos of doctors can wear on even the strongest self- esteem. The trainers pushed new recruits to the breaking point, often giving them long hours of homework assignments into the night and over the weekends.
Representatives must video tape sales presentations and continually test their medical product knowledge. The environment is highly competitive and large numbers do not complete all tiers of their training before dropping out from the pressure. Those that do make it are glorified as the best of the best and are then unleashed on the medical field with a false sense of bravado that soon fades.

As a member of the SKF, BMS and Novartisteams, I received extensive and phenomenal training. As a specialty and hospital representative and trainer, I participated in preceptorship learning programs that medical students participate in. Viewing surgeries, heart transplants and learning about various laboratories and testing. I can go head- to -head with any Physician out there and can hold my own on disease state and product knowledge.

Over the years, I earned incredible trips for top sales. I drove extensively to cover large territories, I mentored, trained, worked with managed health care and volunteered with a variety of local organizations. Including working with children at the local epilepsy camp, helping the local Alzheimer'sAssociation raise funds and dressing up at Christmas as Mrs Claus with my partner to hand out donated gifts we collected to young patients at our Children's Hospital.

As a younger representative, I remember the pride and exuberance I felt at national meetings in which the loud speakers pounded out motivating themed music. The medical researchers and marketing managers gave exciting emotional speeches. I soaked in every word with anticipation and awe. I believed I was going to help people. That was my goal in life!

After years of meetings though, I realized that manufacturers instructed their representatives to promote the company's products in a given manner and with a particular focus. This is called marketing direction. Each promotional period there is a "tag line" or special message that the representative is supposed to drive home with the Physician. Sales literature and visual aids are all geared toward the promotional message, and they are utilized in role plays until the presentations flow naturally.

Representatives are taught to handle and minimize the objections physicians might have. They are given the specific wording that best represents the company's position. If a visual aid initiates too many negative questions from the Physician, the bar graph, product errors and so forth are reworked for the next sales quarter in a way that presents the information in a more favorable light. I soon learned the manipulative advantage of semantics in research is called statistics. (And in medical studies, statistics can be spun any way you want them to be spun. If they can't be spun to the company's advantage, the study is lost or buried so far behind other material it is never found or seen).

In spite of the voluntary guidelines instituted by the PDMA several years ago which require that gifts given to doctors remain of nominal value, reps make generous contributions to office parties, fund-raisers, and speaking engagements with the assistance of corporate funds. Even the most ethical, prudent practitioner can be influenced by interacting with a pharmaceutical rep. Sometimes even against his/her better judgment.

The ethical arguments about the relationship between individual physicians and reps have often been stated badly or at least incompletely. Those opposing cozy relationships often speak as if the reps are evil people or are guilty of moral wrong doing. Standard arguments also portray physicians as akin to putty in the hands of the reps. This portrayal elicited a rebuttal that appeared in the Wall Street Journalin response to an article about a campaign by medical students to banish reps from teaching hospitals– that these arguments cast reps "as schemers with more money than sense and doctors as easily manipulated marionettes. The goal of the pharmaceutical industry is to increase its profits, which includes persuading physicians to prescribe more of the most expensive drugs." Continually rising drug costs are not in the best interests of the patient population as a whole, and the most expensive or most heavily marketed drug may not be the best alternative for any given patient. A current example of this can be found in the State of Texasrequiring girls between the ages of 11 – 13 to have the vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. Yes, my 13 is vaccinated but is was my choice – not a choice that was made for me through legislators who are influenced through monies given to them by the pharmaceutical companies. With every 11 – 13 year old girl in this country being vaccinated, how much guaranteed revenuedo you think that will bring in for the manufacturer?

Representatives are not evil, but they are time-consuming and serve interests that often are at odds with those of the patients.

Over the years as my knowledge base grew from the specialized training I received, I started to better understand the drugs and the effect they had on the body systems. I also became more adept at interpreting clinical trial data and laboratory results. I realized that drugs which were nominally effective were touted as phenomenal and side effects and drug interactions were minimalized. I observed drugs being over utilized, over dosed, and improperly promoted "off label" for indications that were yet untested and / or unapproved. I watched as year after year the FDA approved dangerous drugs that were later removed from the market. I observed the defensive cover-ups and posturing employed by the industry to save their own reputations. But most importantly, I witnessed the demise of fair-balanced education in medicine.

This once prestigious industry has left me with many haunting images – disturbing experiences that have completely altered my perception of medicine and the institutions that guard its ethical practice. I started awakening to the truth about the greed, deception, and corruption that permeated my industry.

Recently, in a new territory, on one of my first meetings with a physician, this professional proceeded to tell me he would not do business with me unless I "worked with him". He threw a deck of business cards out on his desk with the names of various representatives that "work" with him and suggested I call them to discuss their rankings. He then proposed $150 / month as a fee and I could get all of his business in my product class.

In my years in the field, I have been sexually propositioned in exchange for business (in graphic detail), I have been groped and kissed on the lips by professional medical speakers before they left town and this is just a taste of the inappropriate behavior I have been subjected to with no recourse or concern from my management as long as numbers were coming in.

I have become a part-time caterer working over 60 hours a week and sometimes more with weekend seminars. My days begin with breakfast and grand rounds meetings and end with several late night dinner programs a week. After that, I get to go home (forget the bed time stories with the kids) and do paperwork until 2 or 3 am – generating reports that management will never read. Since we work out of our homes, we are on call 365 days a year 24/7.

I have worked hard. I have been honest on sales call reporting and expense reporting (something many sales reps take advantage of). I have subscribed to numerous medical journals and prided myself for my product and disease state knowledge in my areas of expertise. In the end, all the hard work, dedication, and loyalty meant nothing when the chips were down. The companies always look out for their own best interests – even when they caused the issues and problems. Instead of supporting their staff that is making them money, they support management. Sadly, I have watched as CYA has become the rule of the day and ethics have gone right out the window!

Don't fool yourself into thinking it's the representatives and physicians who are all to blame in this disastrous downfall of our health care industry. The United States health care system is killing Americans at an alarming rate, even though we spend over fifteen percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) on health care. Millions of children throughout the nation suffer needless pain because their parents lack health insurance and cannot afford to take them to the doctor. Millions of the elderly suffer similar pain because they cannot afford the prescription medication they rely upon to survive.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, our health care outcomes ranked only fifteenth among twenty-five industrialized nations worldwide. Adverse effects from prescription drugs have become the third-leading killer of Americans. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives. We trust our doctors to inform us and our government to protect us from medical malfeasance that may put profits ahead of consumer health and safety. But the fine line walked by the FDA between the interests of the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the American public has continually been crossed. The result is the unleashing of an unprecedented number of lethal drugs on the U.S. market!

Since 1998, drug companies have spent $758 million on lobbying – more than any other industry according to government records analyzed by the Center for Public Integrity The industry had 1,274 lobbyists – more than two for every member of Congress.They are Powerful!

Over the years, these lobbyists have been very successful, demonstrating that the industry knows politics as well as it knows chemicals. Drug companies won coverage for prescriptions drugs under Medicare 2003 while blocking the government from negotiating price downward. And they have protected a system that uses company fees to speed the drug-approval process. The industry's deep inroads into the government are rooted in its dependence on federal decisions. The government determines which products drug companies can market and how they're labeled. The government buys massive quantities of drugs through Medicare, the VA and other programs. With the new Medicare prescription benefit plan of 2006, the government began paying for 41% of American's drug bills, up from 24%. In addition to its lobbyists, pharmaceutical makers are among the top donors to national political campaigns and conventions – favoring republicans 2 to 1 – giving away approximately 7.3 million dollars just for events and gatherings. To me, this seems to be a huge conflict of interest and detrimental to patient treatment outcomes.

Yes, I do agree it is very expensive to bring a new, innovative drug to market – somewhere in the ballpark of $1 billion. On the other hand, this industry wastes more money in one month on lobbyists, Fed Exshipments, cheap pens and too many uneducated sales reps with no purpose it's unbelievable. In addition, drug makers sell their message through TV advertising. During 2003-4 they spent a combined $45.1 million dollars on advertising on TV alone.

Due to the lax regulatory environment that the pharmaceutical industry has operated in, it is no wonder that they have come under increased public scrutiny. With all this in mind, it is also not surprising that Pfizer has recently received a letter from the AIDS Healthcare FoundationPresident Michael Weinstein stating:

After repeated attempts to engage Pfizeron the negative impact of its
marketing and advertising strategy and tactics for its erectile
dysfunction drug, Viagra, there has been no recognition by your
organization of the documented correlation between Viagra and the recent
rise in sexually transmitted diseases and HIV in men who have sex with
men. In addition, Pfizer has made no attempt to address this alarming
trend.

By not taking responsibility for the dangers resulting from the use of
Viagra, a blockbuster drug that has generated revenues of $1.65 billion
worldwide in 2006, Pfizer does not demonstrate corporate citizenship and
responsibility appropriate for an organization that profits from the
public's health. It is clear that Pfizer's efforts to educate and inform
consumers on its products are without regard for the safety of the
consumer, and therefore have no place in the patient-centered environment
AIDS Healthcare Foundationprovides.

Please inform your representatives that they will no longer be granted
access to AHF's 13 Healthcare Centers." Pfizer is once again pushing the advertising envelope with Viagra ads that encourage recreational use of the drug rather than address and treat a diagnosed medical condition, and in the process, we believe
Pfizer is ultimately jeopardizing the public health and wellbeing with its
Viagra advertising campaigns. This is why we are banning Pfizer's drug
representatives from our clinics and why we filed the lawsuit." Pfizer has engaged in and continues to engage in this conduct despite clear evidence of its illegality and harmful effects."


This volatile industry as a whole definitely needs some leadership.

The Nurses' voice brought my attention back to the present and reality. The reality is that I have spent the last 18 years contributing every waking moment to my profession. One that used to be a large caring family. One I was proud to say I was a part of. I have spent my life volunteering, educating, entertaining and helping others. Recently, sadly, I have had to come to the realization that I've contributed to lining the pockets of a multitude of uncaring CEOs who are guaranteed "golden parachutes" should something happen to their company position and may have unknowingly caused harm to the thousands of trusting, innocent people I had started out to help.

On top of all of this, I am now unemployed due to discrimination against me as a result of an automobile accident during work hours - while bringing in top sales and money for Sepracor pharmaceuticals, I was harassed by management – reported it to HR and top management and was then retaliated against and terminated. I have two children and a disabled husband that I care for. We have no income as I wait for neck surgery to have 2 of 6 injured discs fused. We have no insurance due to my husband's pre-existing condition. We can't afford the $1500 a month for COBRA on top of our other bills with no income. In addition my husband has over $1000 a month in prescription bills alone.

Sadly, I'm not alone. This industry would rather spend money on lawsuits than function with professionalism and integrity. Ultimately, we will all pay with higher drug prices. I can't afford more expensive drugs – Can You?!

We don't live lavishly. We represent the middle class. We work hard for what we have. We pay our taxes and our bills. We don't waste money. We save for our children's college education and retirement. We donate our time and resources to the United Wayand our Church to help the less fortunate. We value honesty, education and hard work.

Today, we are selling things off in our home – precious keep sakes – just to pay the bills and hopefully find medical coverage. This middle class family is now on its way to welfare support because of frivolous law suits that allow people who spill hot coffee on themselves to win millions in damages (when the idea of coffee is that it's hot). Yet, when hard working individuals are hurt by corporations, The federal government, the corporation nor anyone else seems to care until it happens to them! It can happen way too quickly - are you prepared?!

Write your Senators, Write your Congressmen – stop these companies and other like them from continuing to lie to and harm the citizens of this country. If we as a country continue to be in denial, our drug costs will continue to increase.

Politicians are always promising Americans access to things like education and better health care. Where have these promises led? Don't let the drug companies buy our legislators and researchers – Speak UP – we are the wealthiest country in the world and deserve to have a middle class that isn't afraid of losing their job every other day and we deserve the best medical care possible for ALL of our citizens!!