When you look around today, it seems like there’s a prescription for everything. From cholesterol-lowering drugs to antidepressants, from ADHD medications for children to sleep aids for stressed-out adults — we’ve become a nation conditioned to medicate first and ask questions later.
But how did we get here? Why is our healthcare system so drug-centered, and what happened to natural healing practices that have served humanity for centuries? The story goes deeper than most people realize — and it starts over a century ago with a powerful oil tycoon, a strategic report, and the systematic dismantling of traditional medicine.
Today, we’ll break down how the pharmaceutical industry came to dominate modern healthcare, the key figures behind it, the staggering consequences we’re living with now, and why functional medicine and natural healing are reclaiming their rightful place in the future of medicine.
For more on this topic, watch this episode on The Dr. Josh Axe Show.
The Flexner Report: Where Big Pharma All Began
In 1910, a pivotal document called The Flexner Report reshaped the entire landscape of American medicine. Funded by the Carnegie Foundation and championed by oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, this report wasn’t just an academic exercise — it was a calculated move to shift medicine toward a pharmaceutical model built on petrochemical drugs.
At the time, natural healing schools like homeopathy, herbalism, naturopathy, and chiropractic were thriving. The Flexner Report labeled these traditions as “unscientific,” pressuring licensing boards to shut them down and only accredit schools that focused on drug-based, symptom-targeting treatments.
The result:
Medicine transformed from a holistic, patient-centered system to a symptom-management, pharmaceutical-first industry — one that sidelined centuries of wisdom about nutrition, herbs, energy medicine, and mind-body therapies.
How Has Big Pharma Risen to Power?
Fast forward to today, and the pharmaceutical industry has ballooned into a $1.21 trillion global empire. In the U.S. alone, Big Pharma rakes in over $400 billion annually — surpassing almost every other industry.
And here’s the troubling part:
- Roughly $200 billion is spent in the U.S. each year on unnecessary or improperly used medications.
- Prescription drug use has skyrocketed, with 69% of Americans taking at least one prescription medication every month, and over 25% taking four or more.
- Pharmaceutical companies don’t just sell drugs — they shape medical schools, government agencies, public health policies, and even classroom education.
Who’s Really Pulling the Strings in Big Pharma?
A look at the financial and policy influencers behind modern medicine:
- Bill Gates: Through the Gates Foundation, GAVI, and major investments in Pfizer and BioNTech, Gates has exerted immense influence over global vaccine policy while profiting through stock valuations.
- Anthony Fauci: The NIH, under Fauci’s leadership, co-owns patents tied to mRNA technology. He’s received undisclosed royalties while wielding power over funding and research decisions.
- Albert Bourla (Pfizer CEO): Oversaw massive profits during COVID, sold personal stock, and secured billions in government contracts — while requiring liability shields for Pfizer’s products.
- Klaus Schwab (World Economic Forum): Connects pharma, tech, and government elites through global initiatives like The Great Reset, advocating centralized control mechanisms like vaccine passports.
- Stéphane Bancel (Moderna CEO): His net worth soared to $12 billion during the pandemic, with profits made largely from taxpayer-funded research.
From Acute Care to Chronic Drug Dependency
Originally, pharmaceuticals were designed for emergencies — to treat infections or aid surgery recovery. But today, they’re primarily prescribed for long-term, chronic issues like hypertension, diabetes, depression, and arthritis.
Consider this:
- 89% of people with arthritis and 98% with diabetes rely on daily medications.
- Statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) are often prescribed indefinitely, despite risks like muscle damage and cognitive decline.
- 30% of hospital admissions among older adults involve side effects or drug interactions.
This drug dependency model doesn’t heal — it manages symptoms while generating lifelong customers.
The Medicalization of Everyday Life
Modern medicine has made nearly everything diagnosable. From “subclinical depression” to “pre-diabetes” and “mild cognitive impairment,” what were once normal human experiences are now labeled as disorders requiring treatment.
The danger:
More diagnoses → more prescriptions → more side effects and dependency.
Instead of addressing root causes like poor nutrition, stress, trauma, and disconnection from nature, society is over-medicating sadness, fatigue, inattention, and grief.
Pharma, Politics, and Public Schools
The pharmaceutical industry’s influence isn’t limited to hospitals and pharmacies:
- 60% of medical department heads at major universities hold financial ties to drug companies.
- Pharma funds public school programs that normalize medication for behavior and mental health issues.
- In 2022 alone, drug companies spent over $9 billion marketing directly to physicians and hospitals.
- Both major U.S. political parties receive millions from pharmaceutical lobbyists.
This isn’t a healthcare system — it’s a business model.
What is The Dark Side of Big Pharma: Major Lawsuits and Scandals
Big Pharma’s history is riddled with deception:
- Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin crisis led to 500,000+ overdose deaths.
- Johnson & Johnson paid over $5 billion for opioid damages and is still battling claims over talc products causing cancer.
- Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck have paid billions in fines for fraud, illegal marketing, and concealing safety risks.
How the Food System Feeds Pharma Profits
The modern American diet — high in processed, chemical-laden foods — fuels obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health issues. The same corporations profiting from junk food often have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
The cycle:
- Sell nutrient-depleted food.
- People get sick.
- Sell them drugs to manage the damage.
Meanwhile, 80% of chronic diseases could be prevented with lifestyle changes.
How Can We Return to Root Cause Healing
The good news? A growing number of people are waking up to functional medicine — a root-cause, patient-centered approach that looks beyond symptoms to address the underlying factors driving disease.
Examples of healing naturally:
- Reversing type 2 diabetes with a low-carb, whole-food diet and exercise.
- Healing anxiety with breathwork, gut health restoration, and nature therapy.
- Resolving autoimmune issues through elimination diets and trauma healing.
- Managing blood pressure via magnesium-rich foods and stress reduction.
- Easing joint pain naturally with turmeric, collagen, and anti-inflammatory diets.
The Takeaway From Big Pharma
Modern medicine’s pharmaceutical obsession didn’t happen by accident. It was engineered over the last century by powerful financial interests. While lifesaving drugs have their place, the system’s over-reliance on prescriptions comes at a heavy cost: side effects, chronic dependency, and a disconnect from the physical, emotional, and spiritual roots of health.
It’s time to reclaim personal health sovereignty. Functional medicine, holistic therapies, and natural healing practices are restoring what was lost — and proving that true healing is possible without a lifetime of pills.
