medpundit |
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Monday, April 22, 2002I stopped seeing drug reps in my office several years ago. I never trusted their information, and I finally decided that the free samples they gave me weren't of any substantial value to my patients. They only gave samples of the newest and most expensive drugs, and my patients are probably better served by getting more reliable and less expensive ones. Also, as my practice has gotten busier, and I've gotten older, I've found it harder and harder to remember where I learned something about a drug. Did I read it in a respected journal, or did I hear it from some detail man? It just wasn't worth it anymore. So, I said good-bye to the drug reps forever. This hasn't stopped them from trying, though. In many cases, their salaries are based on the number of prescriptions filled for their products in their sales area. They even know how much of their product and how much of their competitors' products are prescribed by each doctor in the area. They are constantly stopping by the office trying to catch me between patients and leaving invitations to plays, dinners, and the like. I've never yet gone to any of these, although I do use their pens and magnets. (One of the more annoying things my mother does when she visits our house is to survey our refrigerator magnets and shake her head disapprovingly, murmuring, "Payola.") To tell you the truth, I think this is a step in the right direction. For too long the medical profession as been more than willing to take the drug companies' cash, and although doctors always claim they aren't influenced by the sales pitches, they are. It may be a subtle influence, but it's real. It reflects badly on us that it is the drug industry that is reigning these practices in and not the medical profession. posted by Sydney on 4/22/2002 07:50:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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