AceShowbiz - Bill Maher has some strong words on the medical industry's role in the deaths of celebrities like Matthew Perry, linking their tragic outcomes to systemic issues within American healthcare. Are doctors living up to their oaths, or is something more sinister at play?

Maher opened up on Friday's episode of "Real Time" about how the death of actor Matthew Perry hit close to home. While Maher confessed that they weren't super close, Perry was enough of a friend and a good person to make him furious about the "enablers" who played a part in his demise.

This incident became a gateway for Maher to voice his concerns about what he terms the "medical industrial complex" - a potent blend of corruption and negligence that he argues has been overlooked for too long in America's healthcare system.

Maher's critique dove deep into how doctors and the medical industry at large contribute to the problem of over-prescribed drugs. "Matthew Perry asked his doctor, 'is ketamine right for me?' and his licensed and trained, legitimate doctor, texted another doctor and wrote, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let's find out,' " Maher revealed. In Maher's view, the modern Hippocratic Oath has shifted to, "first, do no harm to your bank account."

Addressing broader concerns, Maher explained, "From 2006 to 2019, over 145 billion oxy and hydrocodone pills were prescribed, resulting in over 210,000 overdose deaths, and they weren't prescribed by the opiate fairy." He emphasized the dangers of powerful drugs like Fentanyl, which has become far more lethal since it entered the scene about a decade ago.

Maher lamented that western medicine often pretends that its "respectable drugs" are different from street drugs, but according to him, they are essentially the same. "Oxy is heroin, Adderall is meth, and Ritalin is cocaine for kids," Maher declared. He warned that in America, resisting anything lucrative is a lonely fight, emphasizing that numerous people are battling addictions exacerbated by prescribed medications.

Finally, Maher decried the commercialization of pharmaceuticals, questioning why pharmaceutical advertising remains legal in the U.S., while obfuscating how medical treatments are often presented to patients.

He continued to stress the importance of vigilance and questioning the medical advice given, noting that addictive substances vary widely in their legality and insurance coverage, yet have similar, devastating impacts.

In closing, Maher drew from his own experience with addiction, "Yes, I know something about addiction, because I smoked cigarettes for 20 years." For him, the death of his friend Matthew Perry is a glaring example of systemic failure. "If the world's most famous living drug addict comes to you for help, maybe don't give him more drugs."

By highlighting these issues and sharing poignant anecdotes, Maher makes a compelling case: the medical industrial complex needs introspection and reform to truly serve the people it vows to protect.