Hope you all had a wonderful vacation. We're getting back into the swing of things and focusing on the Medicalization of Society. Please read the new article "no free lunch".
I thought that what this article had to say was very important. I like that these people want to stand up for what is right for the good of the patients. They recognize the effect that drug reps have on the distribution of pharmaceuticals. Health care professionals should not be able to be bribed to sell a product.It's important to be aware of the promotion the drug companies are doing and not let it affect patient care. We should be able to trust that health professionals are knowledgeable about the drugs they prescribe and have our best interests at heart and that they aren't influenced by drug reps to sell certain products. The medicalization of society has led to many patients going to the doctor with a list of drugs that they think they need that they have seen on TV. I was appalled by one of the articles we read for class that said many of these people are given the drug that they ask for or another one like it even if they don't really need it. Doctors should not prescribe drugs they don't know a lot about or that patients don't really need. Patients are starting to think they know as much if not more than doctors about what is best for them. We need to remember that doctors are professionals that we should trust more than TV commercials and doctors need to be more careful about prescribing medication and not be persuaded by drug reps. Pleasing a patient by giving them what they want is not as important as making the best choice for their health.
I've actually heard pretty recently that drug reps are no longer allowed to give out free stuff to physicians. If this is true, than I support it fully. If a pharmaceutical company comes out with a drug that really works and treats illnesses, then they shouldn't have to try to persuade people to prescribe it. The drugs reps also make it harder on physicians, because now, not only do they have to resist the reps themselves, they have to deny patients. Patients who hear the name of a drug over and over may go to the doctors with an intent to get it. The physician may be pressured to prescribe it even if it would not benefit the patient at all. If a drug works, physicians should be the ones asking the drug companies, rather than the other way around.
I feel like this article thinks that most people are truly gullible. I hope that most people see these advertisements would treat them with the same attention that they treat feminine hygiene product commercials. watch but don't really pay any attention to them. A good physician will not just handout medicine that you ask for directly or that they don't know much about. I come from a long line of medical professionals and know that true medical professionals who take their oaths seriously will not worry about trying to keep patients. They worry more about keeping them healthy.
I feel like the people who made these oaths think that we are really naive as a society. Yes, doctors might say these things to one another and even their patients when asked but I feel that it is the complete opposite. My doctor is always telling me to try new things for my allergies and they are giving me free samples left in right that came from the drug reps. More than likely, this sort of thing happens everywhere. If there is a chance for a medical professional to get their hands on free drugs, you know they are not going to pass up the opportunity. As long as the doctors keep their clients healthy and happy, they are going to continue to do so whether it be through the doctors trying to give them something or the patient coming in saying the saw an ad on television for a drug that they think will help them.
its funny, i work at a pharmacy and i will say that i have benefited more than once from a drug rep coming in and supplying lunch for the office. while before i was just excited for free chinese food, now when one comes in i'll definatly think differently about why they are here. obviously there business is about self promotion and trying to earn money, but if its at the expense of doctors over prescribing to patients that could seriously harm them, is it worth it? the next time one comes in i'll defintely remember to brown bag it.
Personally, i think drug reps are extremely deceiving. They make their product sound the world would crumble without it and make us think that if we don't have it we are going to regret it. I think this No free lunch organization is doing great things. People need to see the evidence of how health care is influenced by pharmaceutical promotions. You see all these pens and other small products every where that are advertising a drug such as Gardasil or whatever and you never really think twice until your asking your doctor about it. And who would have thought that a drug rep offering a free lunch would have so much sway over the decision for health care providers to buy their product? Clearly they do not have the best intentions in mind for anyone but themselves and their company.
I thought that this website was really interesting. I decided to put in a search to see if there were any doctors around me back home that joined this site. However, after a search in the categories of Emergency Medicine, and Cardiology (two areas that I am considering specializing in), I found nothing. I found two doctors for internal medicine, and one for a family medicine, however they were both an hour or two away. It seems that either doctors in NH do not know about this website, or that they aren't interested. I know that even when I head to the doctors, they chose certain drugs everytime over others. They also try to give me free samples as often as possible. It is amazing how much control these drug reps can have over doctors.
It's refreshing to know there are doctors who still believe in/uphold the Hippocratic oath. I think its great they're putting their integrity before bribes with respect to the drug representatives. Reading the two articles online about the tactics drug reps use to convince doctors to buy their product made me feel even more disgusted about the allopathic medical profession, at least when it comes to pharmaceuticals. I was particularly annoyed with the doctor (I believe he was the psychologist) mentioned in the one article who always liked to prescribe the newest and "best" drug on the market. Its nice to know that we patients are seen as guinea pigs.
I completely support doctors who are no longer taking gifts from drug representatives. Getting all these gifts, I can definitely understand, would cloud their vision as to what is the RIGHT thing, health-wise, for a patient. And I don't want to be using a medication just because someone happened to get tickets to a baseball game for making me take a certain brand of pills.
It is absolutely crazy how drug representatives try to get doctors to promote their prescription drug through bribery. I am glad that there are doctors and other medical professionals out there that do not fall for drug reps tricks. With continuing education that medical professionals go through, warnings of drug reps should be brought up. I doubt it will, but it should.
This is all so true. My buds father is a drug representative. You should see all the free pens, paper and little give aways I have....and I;m not a doctor! They must get cars then lol. Crazy our society as gone to this point where they must "buy" doctors to get their medication out into the world.
I have a pen from each of these pharmaceutical companies. My step-dad is a Lieutenant firefighter paramedic. And over the past few years he has brought home hundreds of pens. The drug companies are even going as far as promoting their drug to the EMS. These pharmaceutical companies are crossing boundaries, and thanks to No Free Lunch and other pressures pharmaceutical companies have been taken down a notch. The are no longer allowed to distribute their promotional products. These pens just might become collectables.
I thought that what this article had to say was very important. I like that these people want to stand up for what is right for the good of the patients. They recognize the effect that drug reps have on the distribution of pharmaceuticals. Health care professionals should not be able to be bribed to sell a product.It's important to be aware of the promotion the drug companies are doing and not let it affect patient care. We should be able to trust that health professionals are knowledgeable about the drugs they prescribe and have our best interests at heart and that they aren't influenced by drug reps to sell certain products. The medicalization of society has led to many patients going to the doctor with a list of drugs that they think they need that they have seen on TV. I was appalled by one of the articles we read for class that said many of these people are given the drug that they ask for or another one like it even if they don't really need it. Doctors should not prescribe drugs they don't know a lot about or that patients don't really need. Patients are starting to think they know as much if not more than doctors about what is best for them. We need to remember that doctors are professionals that we should trust more than TV commercials and doctors need to be more careful about prescribing medication and not be persuaded by drug reps. Pleasing a patient by giving them what they want is not as important as making the best choice for their health.
ReplyDeleteI've actually heard pretty recently that drug reps are no longer allowed to give out free stuff to physicians. If this is true, than I support it fully. If a pharmaceutical company comes out with a drug that really works and treats illnesses, then they shouldn't have to try to persuade people to prescribe it. The drugs reps also make it harder on physicians, because now, not only do they have to resist the reps themselves, they have to deny patients. Patients who hear the name of a drug over and over may go to the doctors with an intent to get it. The physician may be pressured to prescribe it even if it would not benefit the patient at all. If a drug works, physicians should be the ones asking the drug companies, rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this article thinks that most people are truly gullible. I hope that most people see these advertisements would treat them with the same attention that they treat feminine hygiene product commercials. watch but don't really pay any attention to them. A good physician will not just handout medicine that you ask for directly or that they don't know much about. I come from a long line of medical professionals and know that true medical professionals who take their oaths seriously will not worry about trying to keep patients. They worry more about keeping them healthy.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the people who made these oaths think that we are really naive as a society. Yes, doctors might say these things to one another and even their patients when asked but I feel that it is the complete opposite. My doctor is always telling me to try new things for my allergies and they are giving me free samples left in right that came from the drug reps. More than likely, this sort of thing happens everywhere. If there is a chance for a medical professional to get their hands on free drugs, you know they are not going to pass up the opportunity. As long as the doctors keep their clients healthy and happy, they are going to continue to do so whether it be through the doctors trying to give them something or the patient coming in saying the saw an ad on television for a drug that they think will help them.
ReplyDeleteits funny, i work at a pharmacy and i will say that i have benefited more than once from a drug rep coming in and supplying lunch for the office. while before i was just excited for free chinese food, now when one comes in i'll definatly think differently about why they are here. obviously there business is about self promotion and trying to earn money, but if its at the expense of doctors over prescribing to patients that could seriously harm them, is it worth it? the next time one comes in i'll defintely remember to brown bag it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i think drug reps are extremely deceiving. They make their product sound the world would crumble without it and make us think that if we don't have it we are going to regret it. I think this No free lunch organization is doing great things. People need to see the evidence of how health care is influenced by pharmaceutical promotions. You see all these pens and other small products every where that are advertising a drug such as Gardasil or whatever and you never really think twice until your asking your doctor about it. And who would have thought that a drug rep offering a free lunch would have so much sway over the decision for health care providers to buy their product? Clearly they do not have the best intentions in mind for anyone but themselves and their company.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this website was really interesting. I decided to put in a search to see if there were any doctors around me back home that joined this site. However, after a search in the categories of Emergency Medicine, and Cardiology (two areas that I am considering specializing in), I found nothing. I found two doctors for internal medicine, and one for a family medicine, however they were both an hour or two away. It seems that either doctors in NH do not know about this website, or that they aren't interested. I know that even when I head to the doctors, they chose certain drugs everytime over others. They also try to give me free samples as often as possible. It is amazing how much control these drug reps can have over doctors.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing to know there are doctors who still believe in/uphold the Hippocratic oath. I think its great they're putting their integrity before bribes with respect to the drug representatives. Reading the two articles online about the tactics drug reps use to convince doctors to buy their product made me feel even more disgusted about the allopathic medical profession, at least when it comes to pharmaceuticals. I was particularly annoyed with the doctor (I believe he was the psychologist) mentioned in the one article who always liked to prescribe the newest and "best" drug on the market. Its nice to know that we patients are seen as guinea pigs.
ReplyDeleteI completely support doctors who are no longer taking gifts from drug representatives. Getting all these gifts, I can definitely understand, would cloud their vision as to what is the RIGHT thing, health-wise, for a patient. And I don't want to be using a medication just because someone happened to get tickets to a baseball game for making me take a certain brand of pills.
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely crazy how drug representatives try to get doctors to promote their prescription drug through bribery. I am glad that there are doctors and other medical professionals out there that do not fall for drug reps tricks. With continuing education that medical professionals go through, warnings of drug reps should be brought up. I doubt it will, but it should.
ReplyDeleteThis is all so true. My buds father is a drug representative. You should see all the free pens, paper and little give aways I have....and I;m not a doctor! They must get cars then lol. Crazy our society as gone to this point where they must "buy" doctors to get their medication out into the world.
ReplyDeletelunesta, estradiol, bonivia, and lipitor
ReplyDeleteI have a pen from each of these pharmaceutical companies. My step-dad is a Lieutenant firefighter paramedic. And over the past few years he has brought home hundreds of pens. The drug companies are even going as far as promoting their drug to the EMS. These pharmaceutical companies are crossing boundaries, and thanks to No Free Lunch and other pressures pharmaceutical companies have been taken down a notch. The are no longer allowed to distribute their promotional products. These pens just might become collectables.