Comments on: Most Med Schools Fail To Monitor Freebies

By: HorusCat

HorusCat — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:15:15 +0000

Bernie,
And how would physicians learn about wonderful new drugs for epilepsy that don’t cause liver disease, gum dysplasia, cardiac myopathies, agranulocytosis and hirsutism, to name one disease state? Their attendings are often still using the older drugs–because that’s what they trained on.

The market process will take care of the me-too drugs–they won’t get on formularies. They certainly won’t make it on Medicare Part D, Medicaid and the VA, so more than half the market is gone right there. Many private payers won’t cover them either–at least not at a low co-pay. The market mechanism is a wonderful thing which ought to be allowed to work–unlike medical schools pretending like drugs grow on trees, doctors prescribe new therapies without being taught about them and medical students learn everything they need to know about the pharmacology of every drug during the hour or so they spend on any given topic during 3rd and 4th year.

Nothing wrong with making a profit. Or do you work for free, Bruce? If you assume it is the individual’s responsibility to take care of his health and medical costs, then you don’t have to worry about wasted money–the consumer would do it himself.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:32:53 +0000

Ahhh, nothing like The Prescription Project hijacking and brainwashing the innocent minds of medical students to advance their own agenda…

By: Bernie P.

Bernie P. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:22:55 +0000

How would these dumb physicians find out about our wonderful new drugs like Prestiq.These drugs may be a life saver for both the company and the patient. Who cares if the same thing is available generically,if we convince a MD that the new and “improved” drug is better then we win.Knockoffs are drugs too,just ask Nexium,Lexapro, these drugs have fattened alot of CEO pocketbooks, and that is what is important to CEO’s.How’s that for evidence based medicine?

By: HorusCat

HorusCat — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:48:58 +0000

Evidence-based medicine would be great, if the majority of physicians actually bothered to educate themselves. Attendings at med schools are just as much creatures of habit as any other doc. There is not necessarily any impetus for them to read up on and try new therapies. Furthermore, many medical schools are affiliated with hospitals that have strict formularies that are based as much on cost as on “evidence.” The medical center where I work has its residents spend about 1/3 of their time at a county hospital where all decisions are made on cost, not efficacy or better tolerability. How is that going to lead to a physician cadre that practices true “evidence-based medicine?”

By: Gerald

Gerald — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:18:06 +0000

Pharma should stop all funding - period. No grants, reasearch dollars, NIH, nothing. Choke these self righteous sob’s out of money - then let them try to practice “evidence based medicine.”

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:09:55 +0000

Physicians in the US are businessmen: money, fame, ego, power is what they go for. Gifts, freebies, kickbacks are part of this great big business. I am now hearing people curse doctors and lawyers in the same sentence. I can totally understand that. It’s not about doing the right thing, it’s about doing the right thing for my wallet!

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:25:27 +0000

Then it is also time to extricate clinics, hospitals and individual doctors from advertising. I see their ads all over the place:

“Have you had a heart attack? Miami Heart Institute is only steps away”

“Dr. XYZ, dermatology, for all your upgrade procedures” (these are everywhere)

“Memorial Sloan Kettering, the premier cancer institute in the region, call XXX-XXX-XXXX”