--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is actually quite a lot of…" description: "\"There is actually quite a lot of crossover between the quacks and drug companies. They use the same tricks and tactics to bamboozle people into buying ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/ben-goldacre-9578_actually_there-is-actually-quite-a-lot-of-crossov_1062131.png" --- # There is actually quite a lot of crossover between the… ![“There is actually quite a lot of crossover between the quacks and drug companies. They use the same tricks and tactics to bamboozle people into buying their pills, but drug firms can afford to use slightly more sophisticated versions.” quote by Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/ben-goldacre-9578_actually_there-is-actually-quite-a-lot-of-crossov_1062131.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/ben-goldacre-9578_actually_there-is-actually-quite-a-lot-of-crossov_1062131.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/ben-goldacre-9578_actually_there-is-actually-quite-a-lot-of-crossov_1062131.png) > “There is actually quite a lot of crossover between the quacks and drug companies. They use the same tricks and tactics to bamboozle people into buying their pills, but drug firms can afford to use slightly more sophisticated versions.” [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quacks and pharmaceutical companies share deceptive tactics, though drug firms use more sophisticated methods to market their products. **In simple terms:** Both use tricks to sell, but pharma is more polished. Key Takeaway Beware of sophisticated marketing ploys. Themes deception health marketing Mood cautious critical Type analytical warning When to use this quote - patient advocacy - regulatory policy - public health campaigns Key Concepts consumer protection ethical medicine Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a product is being over‑promoted? - How can consumers stay informed? A Different Perspective Regulations may lag behind evolving tactics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) [Between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/between/) [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Buying Pills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-pills-2599723/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Crossover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossover/) [Crossover Quacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossover-quacks-2599722/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-companies/) [Drug Firms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-firms-2599721/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pills/) [Quacks Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quacks-drug-2599720/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Slightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slightly/) [Sophisticated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sophisticated/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricks/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Versions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versions/) ## Related quotes > [So here's the situation confronting the drug firms: The drugs cost more to make, but they can't charge more for them. What do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-kennedy/so-here-s-the-situation-confronting-the-drug-firms-the-drugs-cost/) [Donald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-kennedy/) > [In general, drug companies are reasonably good at developing new treatments, and there's also a lot of good in the industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/in-general-drug-companies-are-reasonably-good-at-developing-new/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [The public relies on the advice of doctors and leading researchers. The public has a right to know about financial relationships between those doctors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/the-public-relies-on-the-advice-of-doctors-and-leading-researchers/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [The thing that bugs me is that the people think the FDA is protecting them - it isn’t. What the FDA is doing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-l-ley-jr/the-thing-that-bugs-me-is-that-the-people-think-the-fda-is-protecting/) [Herbert L. Ley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-l-ley-jr/) > [Medicare should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on prescriptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-harrison/medicare-should-be-allowed-to-negotiate-with-drug-companies-for-lower/) [Jaime Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-harrison/) > [Insurance companies, drug companies are going to have to be ponying up, partly because right now they're receiving huge subsidies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/insurance-companies-drug-companies-are-going-to-have-to-be-ponying-up/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the effects were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-relatively-little-difference/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Drug companies should not be allowed to reap excessive profits or spend unreasonable amounts on marketing if they want to receive support that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/drug-companies-should-not-be-allowed-to-reap-excessive-profits-or/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ When a drug comes out \[that's broadly prescribed\] there are going to start to be a lot of people on it \[in a million… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/when-a-drug-comes-out-that-s-broadly-prescribed-there-are-going-to/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [And there are lots of drug companies that are working on cure or medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-kondracke/and-there-are-lots-of-drug-companies-that-are-working-on-cure-or/) [Mort Kondracke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-kondracke/) > [Some blame the drug companies. I don't. They are corporations. Their managers are ordered by law to make money for the corporation. They push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/some-blame-the-drug-companies-i-don-t-they-are-corporations-their/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [People who know nothing about advertising, nothing about pharmaceuticals, and nothing about economics have been loudly proclaiming that the drug companies spend too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/people-who-know-nothing-about-advertising-nothing-about/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Everyone interested in licensing our field might note that the reason licensing has been invented is to protect the public, not designers or clients.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-glaser/everyone-interested-in-licensing-our-field-might-note-that-the-reason/) [Milton Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-glaser/) > [If anyone doubts the influence of drug company ads on patients and physicians - consider all those wasted billions of dollars for a pill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bazell/if-anyone-doubts-the-influence-of-drug-company-ads-on-patients-and/) [Robert Bazell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bazell/) > [Rooting for the Red Sox is like rooting for the drug companies,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/rooting-for-the-red-sox-is-like-rooting-for-the-drug-companies/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) ## More by Ben Goldacre > [In general, drug companies are reasonably good at developing new treatments, and there's also a lot of good in the industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/in-general-drug-companies-are-reasonably-good-at-developing-new/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Amazing things happen when you pull individual pieces of information together into larger linked datasets: meaning emerges, as you produce facts from figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/amazing-things-happen-when-you-pull-individual-pieces-of-information/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“Aside from all this, for several of the most important and enduring problems in medicine, we have no idea what the best treatment is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/aside-from-all-this-for-several-of-the-most-important-and-enduring/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“At school you were taught about chemicals in test tubes, equations to describe motion, and maybe something on photosynthesis—about which more later—but in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/at-school-you-were-taught-about-chemicals-in-test-tubes-equations-to/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [ And if, by the end \[of this book\], you reckon you might still disagree with me, then I offer you this: you'll still be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/and-if-by-the-end-of-this-book-you-reckon-you-might-still-disagree/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/i-think-you-ll-find-it-s-a-bit-more-complicated-than-that/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“Today, scientists and doctors find themselves outnumbered and outgunned by vast armies of individuals who feel entitled to pass judgment on matters of evidence—an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/today-scientists-and-doctors-find-themselves-outnumbered-and/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [I hope that you will be asked to participate in a trial at some stage in your disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/i-hope-that-you-will-be-asked-to-participate-in-a-trial-at-some-stage/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Most bloggers have no institutional credibility, and so they must build it, by linking transparently, and allowing you to easily double check their work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/most-bloggers-have-no-institutional-credibility-and-so-they-must/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“The American Academy of Pediatrics officially supports breastfeeding, but receives about half a million dollars from Ross, manufacturers of Similac infant formula.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-officially-supports-breastfeeding/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“More than that, these adverts sell a dubious world view. They sell the idea that science is not about the delicate relationship between evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/more-than-that-these-adverts-sell-a-dubious-world-view-they-sell-the/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“At school you were taught about chemicals in test tubes, equations to describe motion, and maybe something on photosynthesis – about which more later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/at-school-you-were-taught-about-chemicals-in-test-tubes-equations-to-2/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“My basic hypothesis is this: the people who run the media are Humanities graduates with little understanding of science, who wear their ignorance as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/my-basic-hypothesis-is-this-the-people-who-run-the-media-are/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“The current regulations -- for companies, doctors and researchers -- create perverse incentives; and we'll have better luck fixing those broken systems than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-current-regulations-for-companies-doctors-and-researchers-create/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Doctors and patients need as much data as possible to make an informed decision about what treatment is best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/doctors-and-patients-need-as-much-data-as-possible-to-make-an/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) [Explore all 71 Ben Goldacre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) [Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is actually quite a lot of crossover between the quacks and drug companies. 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