Doctors' Ties to Drug Companies Called Commonplace

[donsu]

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2007/04/25/hscout604000.html


The ties between doctors and drug manufacturers are close indeed, with virtually all doctors reporting some kind of relationship with industry, even if it's as seemingly innocuous as accepting free food and beverage, a new study has found.
But the relationships vary depending on the kind of medical practice and specialty, the patient mix and the professional activities of the physician, according to the study, published in the April 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Over the past two decades, physician-industry relationships have attracted increasing scrutiny. One review found that, on average, physicians meet with industry representatives four times a month, and medical residents accept six gifts annually from industry representatives.

Earlier this year, a group of influential doctors and academic leaders, including the senior author of the new study, called for a ban on all pharmaceutical gifts to doctors at academic medical centers, among other actions.

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Cardiologists were more than twice as likely as family practitioners to receive payments, although family practitioners met more frequently with industry representatives than did physicians in other specialties.
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has doctoring turned into a racket? a profit driven scam?

looks like it

[CountAllVotes]

1. has doctoring turned into a racket? a profit driven scam?

Hell yeah! You nailed it!!!

:kick: & Recommend too!!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. It starts in medical school

where future MDs are taught that only drugs work for things--and of course, the drug companies "help" medical schools so that only their way is usually taught. Takes an enlightened MD years to deprogram and to start looking at alternative therapies that can and often do work better than drugs. (But then the MDs who go the holistic route don't tend to be in it for the money, but rather for HEALING people.)

[Mojorabbit]

3. My husband

is a family practicioner. He meets with drug reps all the time in his office as they come bearing samples of medicines which he gives to the many patients he has that cannot afford them. He treats many people for free, makes house calls, and pays for xrays etc for the poorest of his patients. People that need meds for diabetes and heart problems that cannot afford them but do not meet the criteria for govt programs are left to fend for themselves. There are a lot of people out there that cannot afford medication they need. So if it takes listening with half an ear to a drug rep to get the samples, well he does it.

[donsu]

4. true, I understand. - the article speaks of co-dependency

nt

[davsand]

5. I think a lot of Family Practice Docs do that same thing.

Frankly, the Family Practice guys are often unsung heroes when it comes to helping out poor folks who can't afford medical care. I'm not bashing the other specialists, but I do seem to hear more folks talking about getting help from a Family Practice Doc than most other fields.

I was just talking to a woman Friday who runs a general assistance program for a local government. Her comment was that less than five percent of program expenditures are on anything outside of medical assistance. (I'm talking drugs and Doctor bills here.) Your husband (and all the other Docs with a soul) are making a HUGE difference for a lot of people with those drugs they get by taking time to listen to a drug rep.

I'm not thrilled to think that some prescriptions are written based on how influential the drug rep is, but I'm AM happy to see those Docs use those samples to help people who need it most.

Good on him, and good for you that your partner is such a good human being!



Laura