This is a fascinating short documentary on how the pharmaceutical industry has an army of some 80,000 strong marketers to get doctors to prescribe their medications, many of which can be bought much more cheaply as similar over the counter brands.

"Money Talks" conclusively puts to rest the pharmaceutical industry argument that high prescription costs are necessary because of research. Yes, research is vital, but far more funds are spent on marketing than on developing breakthrough drugs. Furthermore, research and "product testing" is increasingly outsourced to for-profit firms under the thumbs of the drug companies.

Key evidence in this persuasive film is provided by former "detail" staff for Big Pharma, the marketing people who go out and peddle prescription drugs to doctors, residents and anyone who can influence the prescription process.

The film's credibility is enhanced by the fact that the writer and director of "Money Talks" used to be a pharmaceutical shill herself.

We recommend that you buy a BuzzFlash two-fer with "Big Bucks, Big Pharma: Marketing Disease & Pushing Drugs." That film does an excellent job of focusing on the other side of drug company marketing: how Big Pharma creates "me-too" drugs and then createw a perceived need for them among consumers. And need we mention how Big Pharma changes one small chemical component in drugs running out their patent to re-patent them and keep the price unnecessarily inflated?

"Money Talks," as we've mentioned, focuses on the physician side of marketing, and how our "revered" doctors are influenced to prescribe medications by young, attractive, perky male and female drug sales people who make "house calls" to their offices.

You know all those post-it notes, pens and magnets with the names of drugs on them that you see in physician offices? Well, "Money Talks" fills you in on where they come from and how they play a role in determining the prescriptions that you receive.