Comments on: Guilty Pleasure: The Doctor As Drug Rep

By: Is it Medical Education, or is it Pharmaceutical Marketing? - the Case of “Dr Drug Rep” | Etixet

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:20:01 +0000

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By: Michele Maret

Michele Maret — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:46:21 +0000

As a former pharmaceutical rep, I was interested in checking out the book you recommended. The website is actually http://www.pillpushersthebook.com/ or you can access the book directly on Amazon. I already ordered a copy!

By: Sean Stone

Sean Stone — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:40:24 +0000

I just read a great new “fact-ional” book called “Pill Pushers: A Big Pharma Battle for Market Share” that highlights all of this and more!! Check it out at http://www.PillPushersTheBook.com... Very interesting read. Had no idea how corrupt the pharmaceutical marketing machine was and still is…

By: CJ

CJ — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:08:30 +0000

As a current pharma rep I can tell you that much of this stuff still takes place fairly often (although there has been an enormous improvement over the last couple of years and not nearly as much of the most egregious activity occurs now). I can also tell you that there are plenty of reps and doctors that would absolutely never sell-out their peers and/or patients for any price. I find it disturbing that someone as distinguished (and probably relatively well-paid to begin with) as Dr. Carlat would be so easily bamboozled by a drug company. After all, it shouldn’t take a brain-surgeon (pun intended) to deduce that the quest for shareholder profits by a drug-company could lead to conflicts of interest with science. Doctors are trained to be skeptical and take an oath to protect their patients from harm. I am a sales rep with a fraction of their training, but I am proud of the way I conduct myself. I don’t need to take an oath. Many pharma companies are far from perfect, but they are certainly not the baneful, heartless organizations they’re portrayed as. The unfortunate thing about articles like this is that it probably just makes things worse. Sell-outs like Dr. Carlat learn about the opportunities to make quick-cash, while our most respected and principled doctors (that could provide a fair-and-balanced assessment of a therapy) are driven away. Just remember that for every Carlat there are 10 doctors that understand what it means to do the right thing.

By: Stephany

Stephany — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:49:00 +0000

http://www.furiousseasons.com/archives/2007/11/atypical_nation_will_states_lawsuits_lead_to_battle_over_drugs.html

By: Stephany

Stephany — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:47:29 +0000

http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2007/11/the_mother_of_all_dr.html

By: BP

BP — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:25:16 +0000

CV MD is correct. Join Big Pharma and check your conscience at the door! It’s not welcome inside. If you try to do the right thing, they trash you. I’ve seen it happen too many times to good people.

By: CV MD

CV MD — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:22:34 +0000

Nathan,

The difference is that the pharmaceutical industry involves taking care of people. Therefore, the standard should be higher. Read the news! Big Pharma is not capable of being honest. They are constantly dodging rules, regulations and laws. That’s why most of them have paid multi-millions in fines in the past 2-3 years.

I’ve worked in 2 Big Pharma companies and have been horrifed at what they’ll do to make a buck!

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:57:57 +0000

CV MD,
That’s silly — if that were the case we might as well admit defeat and not allow drug companies to sell their products anymore.
There are plenty of mechanisms that allow greed to coexist with honesty. Rather than just complaining about how bad the system is, maybe some people could come up with concrete ideas for improving what we have. Kudos to Christopher for coming up with a meaningful start.

Indecently, as I’ve pointed out repeatedly, this problem isn’t unique to the pharmaceutical industry — it just appears exceptionally bad in this industry because people’s health and lives are at stake.

By: CV MD

CV MD — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:24:39 +0000

Nathan -

Honesty and Big Pharma are not compatible!! They need physicians on staff to sign off on their misinformation and hate it when the physician raises any questions. If they do, then they’re obstructive and disloyal.

The commercial people just can’t help themselves - they’re addicted to money and want to get the most that they can now in case it isn’t as free-flowing in the future.