tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post1284342849777545333..comments2024-03-18T03:28:36.581-04:00Comments on Shrink Rap: Drug Reps in the Waiting Room.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-7251964878645372502010-07-29T11:00:31.833-04:002010-07-29T11:00:31.833-04:00I have to agree with what The Shrink said about sa...I have to agree with what The Shrink said about samples being like free heroin. The lower initial cost also makes it easier to justify trying a newer, more unpredictable, brand name drug before seeing if a cheaper generic would work. <br />I just find marketing like that in doctors' offices disturbing. I've had some bad experiences with getting onto totally inappropriate medications, with horrible side effects, being told that "it has no side effects." Now when I hear that a drug doesn't have significant side effects, I mentally translate to "nobody except the company selling this drug has tested it."Maggiehttp://maggiedoll.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-83270634858128394592010-07-29T02:10:12.791-04:002010-07-29T02:10:12.791-04:00Thanks, The Shrink!
it's funny my word verify...Thanks, The Shrink!<br /><br />it's funny my word verify is "louts"<br /><br />heh.Sarebearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09208596053319110470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-64905365772012466472010-07-27T13:06:50.040-04:002010-07-27T13:06:50.040-04:00Sarebear yes, I'm in the UK.
We don't ...Sarebear yes, I'm in the UK. <br /><br />We don't do samples and such at all. We prescribe what we feel to be best for our patient. Our patient either gets it for free (all my patients) or has to pay a prescription charge (usually for 2 months' medication) of £7.20 (which a converter tells me is $11.20).<br /><br />Giving away free samples to get someone onto a prescribed drug is seen to be a bit like being given free heroin to get you on to it, then taking the cash off the punter over the long term. It's just seen as unsavory and not done.<br /><br />There is no need or role for a drug rep in UK practice, so rather than accepting them purely for their benefit (of biased marketting of their product to us) it's more wholesome just to stop meetings with them.The Shrinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009039342346247138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-65090107065155848992010-07-27T07:45:48.111-04:002010-07-27T07:45:48.111-04:00I've never seen any drug reps in my waiting ro...I've never seen any drug reps in my waiting room(s). I ask for the early, early sunrise appointments and these folks have a more-laid-back schedule. But I do see evidence of them--the plastic toys and novelty pens and magnets and post-it notes everywhere. I don't get upset about it anymore. I figure I'm the consumer and I have a big voice in what pahrmaceuticals I'm going to take. Pens and coupons aren't going to sway me--I'm just glad Congress cracked down on those golf weekends drug reps used to hook the docs up with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-55494862259956828422010-07-26T19:37:14.584-04:002010-07-26T19:37:14.584-04:00The Shrink, would that be Great Britain I assume? ...The Shrink, would that be Great Britain I assume? I think NHS is them, Canada is called something a little different. Or maybe it's Canada, I get confused.<br /><br />Regardless, not an entirely bad idea either, but then what do you do about samples and such?Sarebearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09208596053319110470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-44180586682640008792010-07-26T08:22:10.410-04:002010-07-26T08:22:10.410-04:00After debating the ethics of pharamceutical indust...After debating the ethics of pharamceutical industries' influence upon prescribing clinicians, we've now banned all contact with the industry within our NHS Trust's hospitals.<br /><br />It's surprising how much time's liberated and how you can look your patient in the eye knowing prescribing decisions have increased credibility.The Shrinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009039342346247138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-66259532879024573382010-07-25T20:34:44.242-04:002010-07-25T20:34:44.242-04:00Sarebear,
Thank you for being our guest poster.
S...Sarebear,<br />Thank you for being our guest poster.<br /><br />Sunny CA,<br />One of my patients lost 35 pounds when she started metformin. We sometimes get influenced by the outliers...sort of like the Jenny Craig commercials where they stick on the people who've lost 75pounds and then it small print it says "results not typical."Dinahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227988351623862689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-27014688359539322282010-07-24T23:10:44.479-04:002010-07-24T23:10:44.479-04:00Wow, Sunny, I'd really be dubious about the in...Wow, Sunny, I'd really be dubious about the influence the drug reps have over that endocrinologist, too. Sounds fishy to me as well! Some docs have higher ethics than others.<br /><br />Also, I feel honored to basically have a "guest post" of sorts on the Shrink Rap blog! Thanks, Dinah, it's very cool, and nice to be acknowledged as a commenter from the very beginning!Sarebearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09208596053319110470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-54073436153871520472010-07-24T15:12:39.936-04:002010-07-24T15:12:39.936-04:00My endocrinologist almost always has drug reps han...My endocrinologist almost always has drug reps hanging around in the waiting room. I often have to wait an hour or more for him and he does take drug reps before patients. He also writes "no substitutions allowed" on his prescription for name brand l-thyroxine. I paid the $35 a month (insurance subsidized) for a long time before a conversation with my pharmacist informed that I can override the doctor and get generic which I do now at only $5 a month. The same doc is always trying to get me to take name brand metformin hydochloride, which I have refused, even though I have normal blood sugar because he says it will help me lose weight. He says one of his patients lost over 100 pounds taking metformin. Then I read a study online that said average weight loss is less than 10 pounds. It makes me feels he is in bed with the drug companies and this makes me distrust his drug recommendations.Sunny CAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451116932556227816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-26658624755455737142010-07-24T00:51:21.774-04:002010-07-24T00:51:21.774-04:00It later occurred to me that it probably wasn'...It later occurred to me that it probably wasn't legal for them to tell me what their competing product WAS, and that there is probably pretty strict rules about what they can and can't say directly to patients about products, ie, the drug companies can't directly market to patients except through print, radio, and tv ads. They were careful to never name what it is there product was, but to emphasize their dislike of the product competing with theirs that I, myself, had brought up, which seems like it would be an allowed thing for them to do, since I had brought it up.<br /><br />It didn't occur to me until later to even think about the strict rules they probably operate under.<br /><br />I didn't mind that she had quickly dealt with them while calling me back because I've personally benefitted from the savings coupongs and promotional cards myself before, as well as the samples. As well as the fact that she dealt with them so quickly. If she hadn't, I'd have been displeased, but everything was handled with professionalism and dispatch.Sarebearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09208596053319110470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-55791201364347685932010-07-23T18:20:50.175-04:002010-07-23T18:20:50.175-04:00This week I was waiting to see my psychiatrist. He...This week I was waiting to see my psychiatrist. He was running a few minutes late, which has never happened before. A drug rep came in and asked to see the doc and the receptionist said he'd be right out. When the doc did come out, he called me straight back, and when I left the drug rep was gone, whether because someone else met with him or he didn't wait, I don't know. <br /><br />If the doc had met with the rep instead of me, at my scheduled time, I would have walked out. I appreciated being seen as the valuable client/patient I am.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-4541595999157153022010-07-23T16:30:36.929-04:002010-07-23T16:30:36.929-04:00Back in the day when physicians managed their own ...Back in the day when physicians managed their own time, my dad was a GP. He decided early on that he would not allow drug reps to get in the way of patient time so he came up with an alternative. About every 6 weeks or so he scheduled a "detail day". The morning was blocked off to see drug reps on a first come basis. While waiting, they all got to talk shop and enjoy coffee and pasteries in the waiting room. Each got an equal amount of 1:1 time with the doc and all of them knew they had to do a quick standout presentation followed by his questions. As each one had their time with him they left. They loved it because it was an easy day and all of their bosses knew this was the only way to gain access to him. He got lots of samples and cool stuff like a model of the heart or the eye that we kids could play with. He spent the rest of the day catching up on paperwork and seeing the patients with emergent needs. Best of all, his patient never had to wait for a drug rep drop in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com