Big Pharma: Friend or Foe

[Bryant Cameron Webb]

An increased number of U.S. medical schools and hospitals have begun to ban meals and other gifts from pharmaceutical companies to physicians, residents and medical students "in response to concerns about whether the pharmaceutical industry's expensive marketing efforts influence which drugs doctors prescribe and whether those costs get passed on to patients."

On the other hand, many feel that pharmaceutical marketing is one of several important ways for health care providers to receive the information they need to make sure medicines are used properly and patients are safely and effectively treated. 

• Are pharmaceuticals just another item available on the free market?
• Should physicians and physicians-to-be simply maintain the integrity to not let gifts impact their decisions about what's right for their patients?
• With the average cost per primary care pharmaceutical sales rep approaching $175,000, would US health care benefit from the elimination of this monstrous expense?

What do you think?

[DocK]

I think this is a very important issue that is gaining much attention in the medical community.

• In a way, pharmaceuticals are items on the free market. Let's not kid ourselves. Pharm companies may want to help "heal" the world, but they have a bottom line. They have shareholders that want to see a return on their investment, so they will take necessary steps to ensure increasing profits. However, as physicians, we need to be able to balance this with the fact that a lot of these drugs are really helping to improve people's lives.

• I think that we have a responsibility to make Rx decisions that will be in the best interest of the patient and not the Pharm companies. If the two overlap, so be it. I do think that certain things like all expense paid vacations for you and your family by Pharm companies, is definitely a conflict of interest. On the other hand, putting masking tape over drug pens and refusing all sources of funding for educational programs is overkill. As a medical community, we need to remain objective on treatments for our patients, but we shouldn't ignore the potential resources that Pharm companies can offer. Just like the saying about throwing the baby out with the bath water, we risk losing a lot of positive benefits that come out of relationships with Pharm companies. They are making money regardless, so if we don't take advantage of the return for non-biased educational programs, etc. that money will just go back to shareholders. I highly doubt that they will drop drug prices!

[vrayRDX]

As future practitioners, we need to be honest with ourselves and our patients. Pharmaceutical marketing efforts work! Pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars in marketing year after year because, IT WORKS!!!!! As more groups recognize the effectiveness of "reminder" items like free pens or drug samples, we will see more limitations to pharma marketing.  Just follow the latest regulation changes by the Pharmaceutical industry and organized medicine.

[vrayRDX]

Nice commentary in this weeks JAMA (8/20/08). Very appropriate for the topic. 

A Historical Perspective of Pharmaceutical Promotion and Physician Education

http://jama.ama-assn.org.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/cgi/reprint/300/7/831?eaf

[Vega]

Just as with lobbyist on Capitol Hill, I think there needs to be regulations concerning the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies. It's hard not to believe there is some influence between drug companies and doctors based on all perks, meals, freebies and chotskies that get thrown around. There's nothing wrong with a salesman selling printers to wine and dine a potential business client but for a pharma salesperson to wine and dine a doctor, I think it's unethical and it's obvious the intentions of the pharmaceutical company. Education of new drugs for doctors is important but I think it can be done in a better and more equal way than it is currently.