The private healthcare industry is enormous, notoriously challenging to navigate, and making a lot of money at the expense of the public. The industry enjoys massive profits, often by undermining public programs and exploiting patents, whose ruthless pursuit of money usually has life-threatening consequences. It maybe time to end for-profit healthcare.

The FDA calls drug approval a “balancing act” between acceptable risks and benefits on its website. The FDA’s approval process may favor drug companies over consumers, and FDA approval does not guarantee safety. Big Pharma pays for the majority of drug safety reviews, provides the FDA with safety data for the review and has the option to have drugs approved faster with fewer clinical trials.

U.S. senators called for Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer’s treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration, warning that current restrictions cost patients precious time as their disease progresses. They are asking the FDA to approve a drug based on hope, not science.

No industry refuses to bow to the prevailing headwinds of change more than big pharma. If you have a high level of empathy, there are better places to be. Yes, there are people alive today because of the drugs we develop, but too many people are also determining how they will manage when out-of-pocket copays delete their savings. We need change with the new blood of employees that care more about people than profits.