[PEN-L:27261] Re: Re: Prozac & Productivity

[Eugene Coyle <eugenecoyle@xxxxxxx>]

Jenkins did say that placebos work as well.  But he used that as an attack on
the FDA.  He wants the FDA to approve drugs even if they can't be shown to
work better than placebos -- because that would permit more placebos in the
market.
    I missed how the column could be read to support national health care?
If I wanted to cause Jenkins a bad night I would tell him your interpretation
-- he's pretty much a Libertarian.

Gene

Michael Perelman wrote:

> But he says that placebos work as well.  You could read the article to
> support national health care.
>
> On Wed, Jun 26, 2002 at 10:53:47AM -0700, Eugene Coyle wrote:
> > A WSJ columnist, Holman Jenkins, today praised Prozac et al for raising
> > worker productivity.  The suggestion is that the jump in prescriptions
> > over the past years have resulted in a jump in productivity.  And as the
> > economy moves more toward service work, involving meeting customers,
> > future gains will result if we get more of the work force on Effexor and
> > Prozac.  Holman quotes $ gains provided by others.
> >
> > The column was not titled "Brave New World."
> >
> > Gene Coyle
> >
>
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
>
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx