Comments on: Wisconsin Medical Society Bans Pharma Gifts

By: jsc

jsc — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:51:57 +0000

1 to think doctors are driven to prescribe by a pen and food what a joke!

2 the policy states that you may not interact with the companies but make sure to take the money to help your hospital or school

3 what ever happened to free trade in america? the ability to interact and market any product.

4 do you understand the amount of free drug given away every year and how you are hurting patient how need the samples.

5 on that note how much the pharma industrie supports medical colleges and hospitals because the government money is not there nor are insurance companies paying even enough to cover cost.

6 good luck to the communist in shutting out industry. go to canida or mexico for your health care.

man i could go on….

By: Pat T

Pat T — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:46:03 +0000

So….
Wisconsin physicians are influenced by a cheap pen and/or a sub sandwich….!
Doesn’t say much for the thinking ability and quality of Wisconsin physicians, does it!

By: Justice in MI

Justice in MI — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:41:34 +0000

I happened to be in a doc’s office the other day that had just heard there would be no more gifts from reps (a new policy at this center).

What I mainly noticed was the despair of the office staff. There was, indeed, wailing about actually having to buy pens, notepads, and clipboards.

Scandalous.

By: PaulGGG

PaulGGG — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:47:11 +0000

Another stupid, wasted, superfluous policy.

The PhRMA code that almost every company has now adopted already has all this. Except for the short-sighted policy Wisconsin has put forward of not allowing Wisconsin doctors to teach in medical education organized by companies. Basically a restriction on freedom of speech.

If you read this policy, it reads more like a mini philosophy dissertation than anything else.

By: John Downey

John Downey — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:30:48 +0000

This sounds like a great start, and kudos for Wisconsin Medical Society for doing this. However, this only covers “gifts” and says nothing about payments for giving talks, participating in studies or what ever else doctors do to get money from pharma.

I won’t be spending the time needed to study their new policy, but my concern is this: what are the loopholes, work-arounds and uncovered areas that pharma can drive their money-truck through?

By: JR Hoffman

JR Hoffman — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:28:20 +0000

Congratulations for taking such a brave, and wise, stand.

By: Pharma Newbie

Pharma Newbie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:28:50 +0000

Why not go all the way and ban insurance scorecards to physicians which pay them to prescribe sub-optimal therapy. It’s a joke anyone who understands the industry knows where the problem lies. Do a prior auth and you will see how little insurance companies care for a patient.

By: Mark McConnell

Mark McConnell — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:51:22 +0000

I’m very pleased that Wisconsin (a) recognizes that marketing does affect prescribing and (b) is willing to make a move that is unpopular with many physicians to do something about it.