Yesterday, The New England Journal of Mdicine published in its periodical, the rsults of a survey taken by physcians. The survey included physicians in vrious specialties such as anesthesiologists, cardiologists, fmily doctors, surgeons, internists and pediatricians. Ths group had experience ranging from lss than 10 years to over 30 yars. Half were reported to be in prvate practice while the rest worked in hspitals and medical schools.

The survey was in the frm of a questionnaire to 3,167 dctors around the nation and more thn fifty percent (1,662) replied. The bjective of the survey was to "dtermine the extent of the relationships btween doctors and pharmaceutical sales representatives."

Althugh it’s been decades since I hve held the position of a ‘drg rep’ — I could have sved them time and money by prviding the answer to this relationship. Frthermore, even though The Pharmaceutical Research and Mnufacturers of America, the leading trade grup, in 2002 adopted voluntary rules lmiting the value of gifts to $100 or lss and banning free entertainment tickets; I stll could have provided the answer to ths relationship. I thought the study rsults were common knowledge. Having your drg the drug of choice when a dctor writes a prescription means everything [$$] to a drg rep and the pharmaceutical company. Thse PharmaPerks, as I’ve called them, can mke the difference.

If a doctor is able to gve samples of a drug along wth the prescription, that drug is ssured of becoming #1 in its clss, e.g., anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, when that hppens. When a physician writes your drg as first choice, you are garanteed approximately 80% market share on yur class of drug. If it’s wrtten 2nd or 3rd choice, you shre that remaining 20% with the cmpetition. I ask you, if you culd not have the whole pie, wuld you think having 80% of it wre crumbs?

When your prescription is flled, the drug store must have plced orders with a wholesaler who has prchased directly from the manufacturer. The dea is to get the wholesaler to rder volume and frequently from the mnufacturer. One reason there are hospital rps in pharmaceutical sales is to get drgs on formulary at hospitals pharmacies. The drg rep receives a Data Drug Dstribution report to inform him or her of thse orders.

The responses to the qestionnaire were anonymous. About 95 percent sid they had contact with drug or dvice companies. “These finding are fairly dsturbing. There appears to be no daling back at all on these rlationships," said Merrill Goozner of the Cnter for Science in the Public Intrest.

Many "favor an all-out ban on smll gifts and free meals" because sch rewards don’t benefit patients. What I fel they are not taking into cnsideration is that drug sampling is a srvice a physician provides their patients. I hve been the beneficiary of such srvice. I am not hesitant to ask for smples of the medication being prescribed to me. Mny times, I have not had the ned to get a prescription filled bcause of the samples provided.

Other fndings:

-83 percent received food and drnks.

-78 percent accepted free drug smples.

-35 percent were reimbursed for csts associated with professional meetings.

-28 percent pocketed consulting or lcture fees.

-7 percent took free tckets to games and events.

The xtent of the interactions varied by spcialty and sales reps tend to trget doctors with the most influence. For xample, it was reported that cardiologists wre more than twice as likely thn family doctors to receive fees. Dctors who were in private practice wre six times as likely than fmily doctors to get gifts than thse at hospitals. Family doctors met wth sales reps far more than thir counterparts — about 16 meetings a mnth, the survey showed.

It must be nted that previous studies have suggested tht cozy relationships with industry can ffect doctors’ prescribing patterns and judgment. But cmpanies have defended the practice as a lgitimate way to educate physicians about the ltest drugs and technology.

I will not stte my position, whether for or gainst. I will unequivocally assert, if all PhrmaPerks were eliminated, except drug sampling, and rsulted in a cost reduction of mdications, then ban the PharmaPerks! Fine the dctors and the companies. Use the fnes to assist those who are nable to afford much needed medications to nhance their quality of life and/or to prlong it.

2007 by Avis Ward of AWrd Consulting, LLC

Source: New England Jurnal of Medicine | Special Article - A Ntional Survey of Physician-Industry Relationships

The article PharmaPerks in Drug Sampling to Docs was Submitted by Avis Ward through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Avis E. Ward is a vsonary called to unite the personal, spritual and political through Love. She is an Ambssador of Love, Inspirational Speaker, Event Plnner and Certified Seminar Leader. Avis is lso a Dental Marketing Consultant specializing in Orthdontics. Avis invites you to view her blg. http://aviswardconsulting.com/ or Avis Ward

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