Are the days of Big Pharma’s excessive freebies for physicians truly numbered? That seems to be the intention behind the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s revised code of conduct, effective Jan. 1. Of all the places to cut back on spending within health care, this has long seemed the most obvious — pharmaceutical companies spend $4.8 billion a year pitching their drugs one-on-one to doctors.
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27 Comments
As usual, two sides to this story. We do want doctors to receive new information on pharmaceuticals they are prescribing. On the other hand, how much do these “freebies” to the doctors drive the treatment they prescribe to patients? Do we need to get a second opinion on all medical treatment?
I don’t know how many times I’ve found myself sitting in my doctor’s waiting room and have seen a pert young just-out-of-college Pharma rep bop in, drop some branded ballpoint pens on the receptionist’s desk and get in “for just a moment” ahead of me and all the rest of us patients.
Somebody’s paying for their Italian shoes and thousand-dollar suits. You. And me.
And all those “Ask your doctor if Phukital is right for you” television ads don’t do anything but make Phukital more expensive.
Health care is too important to be driven by marketing.
I hope my doctor still has samples of that pill that makes you young, makes your hair flow behind you in the breeze like a cloud around you head, makes you appear to float as you run barefoot through a field of beautiful flowers, makes you thin and light as a breeze and makes all your cares disappear. I think it makes your children and/or grandchildren more successful too!
Yep, agree with MonkeyHawk, the ads are outrageous! His last sentence needs to be repeated often:
“Health care is too important to be driven by marketing.”
I agree with all of the above, but consider this…. By dropping all those freebie ’samples’ on patients only subtracts the time a doctor needs to spend with a patient to fill out perscriptions; reduces the risk of ‘Ol Sawbones from developing Carpal Tunnel or writers cramps, and enhances more free time for lunch at the local country club and golf course.
I realize the salesbeings pushing samples to some extent raise the price of drugs, but honestly: how many times have you actually saved money when a doctor gave you a handful of freebie samples of some expensive patented drug? And how much does that really affect the overall bottom-line prices?
Such savings would of course be real, but cracking down on distribution of samples seems to me to be at best tinkering at the margins, and with dubious effect. It certainly won’t affect pharma’s marketing campaign’s (so Mr. Salesman can’t hand out any more freebies–does that mean he’s going to stop pushing his wares?). Nor can anyone claim with a straight face that this is even in the top five reasons for the high price of prescriptions drugs.
The real issue is not samples, but other real economic incentives given to doctors to prescribe drugs that either patients don’t need (i.e. pretty much bribery) and/or pressure to treat patients inappropriately to keep the insurance companies happy (i.e. the formularies).
This issue is more symbolism than substance. It’s, as I said, tinkering at the margins rather than dealing with the real issues.
Oh wait: I need more coffee.
The rules relating to hawking drugs, right?
Bad headline.
Drug Compainies have turned many Docs into Pushers, and many patients think you can pill pop your way into good health
During my Dad’s illness, there was one doctor visit where he had to wait while 4 count them 4 pharma reps went back to talk to the doctor.
My Mom’s doc is trying to push some new drug on her. Mom asked my cousin, a physicians assistant, “Surely a doctor would not prescribe something I don’t need?”.
I think my cousin is STILL laughing.
But if this is pharma policing itself? I’ve no confidence in it.
Monkey blathers:
“Health care is too important to be driven by marketing.”
Yeah. Too important. Like elections. Too important to be driven by marketing, so lets outlaw campaign ads, televised speeches, interviews.
And public safety. Far too important to be driven by marketing. No more of those silly PSAs on drugs, seatbealts, volunteering, fire prevention. Too important.
Personally, I don’t care if I have to wait an extra five minutes at the doc because he/she is in a meeting with a drug rep. I’m glad he’s getting a briefing on the latest and greatest, and I appreciate samples when they’re available – not so much for the cost savings, but for the convenience being able to go straight home with antibiotics in hand.
Here’s a thought, Monkey. Suggest to your doc that he advertise (oh shit, more marketing) that he’s not going to be meeting with drug reps – ever. “We here at the Always Fast clinic focus on your time. We don’t keep up to date with the latest in pharmaceutical technology, but we’ll see you on time every time.”
Damned marketing.
I work for a pharmacy where we just fill the prescriptions doctors write – we don’t actually write prescriptions for people. We are bombarded by Pharmaceutical Reps bringing us Haagan Daaz ice cream and Krispy Kreme donuts on a daily basis for snacks and weekly lunches from some of the more expensive restaurants in town for a staff of 30.
I remember when advertising for doctors and pharmaceuticals was prohibited. I wish we could return to those days. Maybe that’s why we didn’t have so many drug problems back then?
News on some of those latest and greatest our doctors are prescribing. I think maybe what the drug pushers are pushing might not be as goo as what has been proven.
———–
Cholesterol drugs stir call for renewed tests
When the Food and Drug Administration approved a new type of cholesterol-lowering medicine in 2002, it did so on the basis of a handful of clinical trials covering a total of 3,900 patients. None of the patients took the medicine for more than 12 weeks, and the trials offered no evidence that it had reduced heart attacks or cardiovascular disease, the goal of any cholesterol drug.
The lack of evidence has not stopped doctors from heavily prescribing that drug, whether in a stand-alone form sold as Zetia or as a combination medicine called Vytorin. Aided by extensive consumer advertising, sales of the medicines reached $5.2 billion last year, making them among the best-selling drugs in the world. More than 3 million people worldwide take one of these drugs every day.
But there is still no proof that the drugs help patients live longer or avoid heart attacks. This year Vytorin has failed two clinical trials meant to show its benefits. Worse, scientists are debating whether there is a link between the drugs and cancer.
Researchers reported last month that patients in three clinical trials had a 40 percent higher chance of dying from cancer if they took Vytorin instead of a sugar pill or another medicine, although the leader of that study says the finding might be due to chance.
Now some prominent cardiologists say that the evidence has swung so decisively against the drugs that they should not be sold. “The only place people should be taking it is in a clinical trial,” Allen Taylor of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center said of Zetia. (Vytorin is a single pill that combines Zetia with a statin, an older form of cholesterol-lowering medicine whose effectiveness and safety are not in question.)
More at:
http://www.kansas.com/news/nation_world/story/514975.html
Golfie – PSA’s are not market driven – they are for public safety.
As for doctors getting the latest drug information, that information is available without the free lunches. Most doctors keep current with the new drugs on the market and most doctors know what these drugs are before the drugs reps even come into their office.
Some drug reps are actually helpful but most of them are there only for pushing their product at all costs. There is one doctor I know that actually told the drug reps they were not welcome to bring lunches to his office anymore because they took time away from his patients. That doctor is a very successful neurologist that does prescribe many of the new drugs on the market.
Perhaps it should be up to the patient and let them make up their mind. Do they want their doctor talking to a drug rep over a free lunch or be seen by that doctor because they are in need of health care?
Amen Linda – I remember Vioxx and Bextra when they came out as ‘miracle’ drugs. – especially Bextra because one of the side effects was weight loss. Every woman that heard that wanted it, whether they had the need for it or not.
mom, from the language in your posts, I don’t think you know what marketing is.
Here’s a tutorial: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/
Read, review and report back. Thx.
Thanks linda – that one is directly of interest to me. It does make you wonder about the power of ‘pushing’
How about a reality check.
First, marketing only reaches those that want it. Doctors at any time can refuse to hear a sales pitch just like you can change the channel during commercials.
Second, if you don’t trust your doctor to responsibly handle pitches for new drugs then how can you trust them to treat your illness?
Allow doctors to do their work in a professional matter. They don’t need more rules.
Doctors it seems are extremely busy individuals.
However, we all have to eat. A meal is many times the best time to get in with a physician to present the facts on different medicines.
That being said I have had some very negative experiences with Doctors and their loyalties to certain drugs.
Gets back to a matter of personal responsibility. Information is all over the internet with regards to certain drugs and any physician worth his weight should be open to listening to a patients questions regarding certain or different drugs as well.
KSGolfnut
Posted September 2, 2008 at 10:35 am | Permalink
mom, from the language in your posts, I don’t think you know what marketing is.
Golfie – everything is not about marketing and profits – unlike in your little circle of the world. I never claimed to be a marketing expert and I could care less about your so-called tutorial – you may want to view it yourself.
Like I stated before, one doctor I know flatly told the drug reps they were not welcome to bring their free lunches anymore and he concentrated on his patients.
This man’s practice is thriving – however does it do it without your ‘marketing expertise’?
It should be up to the doctors and nobody else.
correction: however does ‘he’ do it without your marketing expertise?
“..It should be up to the doctors and nobody else.
YOU are the one suggesting that the practice be outlawed: “..I remember when advertising for doctors and pharmaceuticals was prohibited. I wish we could return to those days.”
Now you’re stating that the doctors should have the freedom (*gasp*) to make their own decisions about how to run their practices. How much time to spend on patients, when to read medical journals, when to see drug reps….
Confused, PeeMom?
Here is the deal folks. Yes, continuing education is important when it comes to medications, and doctors need to know what they’re prescribing and for what. That’s why most people go to continuing education classes. The information being given is just as important to the nurses and pharmacists who are dispensing. They need to know side effects, interactions, contraindications. And they can do that by giving it all to them at the same time in an unbiased way if you take the drug rep out of the picture.
Samples can be shipped right to the doctor’s office if they should so request them!
We could fix this, by reversing the law that says that drug companies pay off their research at the FDA. The FDA could send reps to give classes on new drugs and medical supplies coming on the market. Unbiased. All inclusive.
PeeMom,
MORE government?
No thanks.
Because your plan is working? Right Testicle?
No, of course you don’t want to pay for something that works.
The current plan is working just fine, Pee.
I don’t think so…drug companies spend billions on advertising and perks to doctors…it should all be illegal. Not only does the current system drive up the cost of medications, it has people requesting drugs they really don’t need because they saw it advertised on TV. Japan and Canada outlaw such practices, we should do the same here.
If you think the “current plan” is working, Nut, you are WAY out of touch.
Well, that just goes to show you how out of touch the republicons are.