Comments on: Court Upholds New Hampshire Data-Mining Ban

By: The Other Side

The Other Side — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:37:55 +0000

Yes, pharmcos use script writing data to drive marketing and promotional efforts. That’s called doing business. It’s done by every business on the planet. With limited dollars, every business needs to focus their efforts in the most effective way (even physicians). It’s sales and marketing 101 - pay a lot of attention and reward your top customers (20%), try to move the middle ones who have potential to the top (60%), and don’t waste too much time on the bottom 20%.

The patient data that is matched back to physician is de-identified. Nobody knows what patients are tied to which physicians as this data is stripped off prior to crunching the numbers and never the train shall meet. It’s all aggregate data and all completely HIPAA compliant.

But I do agree with Doc that all physicians should have the same access to medical information and patient education materials.

By: Former Marketing Exec

Former Marketing Exec — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:18:44 +0000

Doc,

You have it exactly right. But I can add this, and this is where it gets tricky, some Doc’s know the data is being mined and count on it to receive invitations to become “key Opinion Leaders” in certain regions. This entitles them to participate in fully paid jaunts to nice locations - quality time away from the monotony of having to be with the patients.

The information is also used to build and create CME events (glorified marketing campaigns, that are used to “re-frame” clinical information) to increase scripts in one area versus another.

How does this all happen? Well doctors are led to believe that clinical data provided is pristine (it isn’t it has been sifted and “re-stated”), in many cases not even the PI can see the raw data.

As I have said countless times, the perfect storm…..

By: Doc

Doc — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:09:03 +0000

The use of IMS data by pharma comapnies is disturbing. I believe it is another form of kickback.

What the data allows the companies to do is direct all their resources to high and possibly medium prescribers of specific drugs/drug classes. This means that the company marketing departments, sales departments and medical departments devote all their resource of samples, patient ed materials, medical information resources, free meals for providers and their staff to only those that make the cut. But don’t all MDs deserve to have the same information provided? Shouldn’t every provider that treats a disease state have access to free samples, patient resources and medical information also for their patients?

The attention and dollars that companies disproportionately spend on ‘high’ prescribers needs to be a target of the OIG.

By: John Q

John Q — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:26:26 +0000

Pharma has become the “new” mob at taking First Amendment rights from patients. Give me a break. This amounts to nothing but bullying by pharma to aggressively track prescriptions. Armed with this data, pharma knows where to send the best offensive/defensive reps to twist and mince words to drs if needed. I have seen this ugly display more than once.

As new laws are enforced, pharma will find new and improved ways to take dr/patient data and bully doctors with that private information. Doctors hate to see reps for this very reason.

Pharma can easily track drug sales without dr/patient disclosures. As pharma gets more brave and bold, Americas need more protection by people like these judges who refuse to validate big pharma demands.