Consumers must always be wary of being taken when they are making purchases, a concern that generally increases proportionally with the amount of the purchase. A good example of this is getting a new car. The fear of buying what has popularly come to be known as a "lemon" can make buying a car a stressful and anxious process.

However, with all this concern over getting defective products, why is that many of us do not give much thought to poor quality when it comes to our medications? Perhaps it is due to the fact that we inherently trust our doctors and pharmaceutical companies to look out for our best interest. However, a new report has found that this may not be so wise.

According to the findings, the drug industry is in fact a "market for lemons." They have a clear advantage in information that enables them to sell products that are not only less effective, but may also be less safe than most consumers are led to believe.

This behavior has led the industry to hide or downplay important information about side effects, some of which can be serious, while also exaggerating the supposed benefits of their products. They are able to accomplish this by spending huge sums of money on marketing and advertising in order to persuade the medical establishment to use their drugs. This allows drug companies to minimize negative findings while promoting the supposed advantages of their products.

Health care practitioners, in turn, are often recruited by the industry to use their drugs in a variety of situations, some outside their intended purpose, thereby feeding a conflict of interest that misinforms the public while compromising their safety and well-being in lieu of their trust.

The drug industry is able to accomplish this because of the fact that they themselves oversee the testing of new drugs. This can lead to a legal net by which they can protect themselves regarding their claims.

Furthermore,the standards of efficacy required to for new drugs to be approved are relatively low, allowing for the manufacture of medications that are low in quality. Drug manufacturers are able to inundate regulators with huge amounts of information in the form of incomplete trials and substandard studies in order to potentially overwhelm them and thereby approve their drugs.

The end result is that the public's safety is compromised as a myriad of drugs are released whose safety and efficacy is often not known. The situation is aggravated by the fact that toxic side effects and misuse of prescription drugs are a significant cause of death in this country.

The responsibility therefore lies with the public to be informed. If you have questions or concerns about a medication, voice them to your doctor, and if possible, seek out advice and second opinions from other sources. For more information about prescription medication, visit the website for Worst Pills.