June 26th, 2007 by The Bosphorus
Here at The Cemestos Gardens we’ve had quite a few prescriptions filled lately for a variety of ailments . Everything from earlobes to teeth and lungs to rashy skin have garnered a medicine. I hope we’re through with the meds for a while. I figure the less pharmaceutical, the better.
I was briefly surprised to learn from this NPR story that pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies are in cohoots by making money off the information created by my Doc and I. The arraingment goes something like this. After I walk away with my little white bag of meds, the pharmacy puts together what med my doc just prescribed minus my idenity. The pharmacy then sells this little bundle to the pharmaceutical company. The big company learns from this info what drugs a doctor prescribes, thus allowing their sales folk to better pitch product.
I don’t know what to make of this, except that you can make a buck off anything you can gather info from. I’m not making the bucks though and I don’t think this makes for a better health-care system. You?
June 26th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Dude, big pharmas got the tentacles out. It is the 21st century Leviathan.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:48 am
I don’t think it is designed to make the health care system better, any more than FM radio is designed to make music better. Both exist for the purpose of sales. Such is the nature of capitalism.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
So the question is, does my doctor (or yours) receive nice gifts from the company whose products he most prescribes? Is he (or she) influenced by these gifts to prescribe X instead of Y?
I understand the nature of capitalism, and generally support it, but it’s pretty tough for patients to get objective information about either doctors or pharmaceuticals.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
What about this: The pharmaceutical company knows what doctors prescribe which meds more often (generic or brand name). When they go do sales calls on doctor’s offices, they provide mugs, tissue boxes, hand cleaner, pens, and notepads with specific names of drugs, therefore promoting their product. Also, they provide samples of the meds to the docs to give to the patients to try the medicine to see if it works or if the patient has an adverse reaction. What also happens is the doctors give the patients the samples who really need them as the prescription meds often aren’t covered by the insurance companies or are expensive (especially the brand names). There are a lot of insurance companies no longer providing coverage for medications that patients have been taking for years and the generic is only required to be 85% as effective as the brand, according to the FDA. Also, several clinics have an indigent drug program where they can provide these meds at reduced cost or even free to patients in need.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
The case of the Kansas City pharmacist who was discovered to be watering down chemotherapy drugs has been in the news, again, recently. (The proscecuter was one of the attorneys fired by the Bush Administration). If you recall, it was the sales rep who figured out that not enough drugs were going out to patients when his profits were short of his projections. So, at least data mining had a good outcome in at least one case!
June 26th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Yep, they do this here in Greece, too.
The pharmaceutical companies sponsor all kinds of things, most notably conventions (with everything free for Herr Doctor and sometimes his spouse). Although I do have to say that the pens and notepads come in rather handy around the house.
I think there is one kind of person that becomes a pharmaceutical rep, and you are born this way.
With regards to this post, I think it shouldn’t happen. But I guess it is a large, competitive market. The thing is, I want my doctors to know about ALL the possible drugs that could work for whatever ails me, and not just promote a select few. Some drugs work better for other people than others.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Yes, Netmom, your doctor does receive gifts, all expense paid trips and MONEY from the pharmaceutical companies. The New York Times did a great article on it a few months back. Can’t link to the Times unless “registered” but check this out: link.
Sad, sad world.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
The topic of drug company perks was discussed at an executive faculty meeting at my medical school this past year. The physician-faculty seem to feel that they are immune to the influence of gifts and trips. Billions of dollars on Madison Avenue say otherwise.