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Monday, October 12, 2009

Why don't doctors fight consumer-direct pharmaceutical marketing?

If the medical establishment is deserving of the credit it receives as an honorable %26 authoritative profession, then why does direct-to-consumer advertising have an impact on pharmaceutical sales? As patients, why are we forced to see doctors and pharmacists at all, if we can merely bark out the name of a medication we've seen on clever TV spots %26 colorful displays, and usually expect to receive that medication? If doctors were concerned about the loss of integrity %26 professional authority they suffer from this advertising, why don't they take action by only prescribing generics and non-consumer-direct marketed alternatives?
Answer:
they are making too much from rebates and freebies from those same drug companies
The Docs are in bed with the Pharmaceuticals. Ever see the parade of them in %26 out of their offices of DREs? Payola, kick-backs trips %26 pressure from insurance companies
The fact is that MDs don't have the guts to say no to patients wanting advertised drugs. Doctors don't directly receive kick backs from the pharmaceutical industry, but the industry gives them dinners and trips for educational reasons. Doctors tend to prescribe the newest and most expensive drugs. They too are susceptible to advertising.
A patient can take action by demanding a generic drug, if available, directly from their doctor, or asking their pharmacist about the drugs available and have him/her call their MD to change the prescription. Don't be afraid to ask a MD why they are prescribing a certain drug.
The ads work because they get folks in to the doctor. Even if the doctor prescribes a competitor half the time, the other half still represents increased sales. Some doctors are swayed considerably, while others refuse to have anything to do with pharmaceutical representatives, but the utility of the ads is not dependent on the doctors.
the doctors ***** and complain about the ads, but they don't have enough leverage to fight it. the thing is is that the doctors make money from the ads too. it's like free advertising for them. patients who will not ordinarily go in to see them will because they now know that there is something that can help them. when the doctors complain that patients are demanding these advertised drugs, it's because they are too weak to say no to the patients - even if it's not the best for them. ultimately the buck stops at the doctor. they have the power to say yes or no. they have the power to rx or not. there are also checks and balances in the system. the doctor has to first diagnose the patient before rxing a drug. then the doc writes for product X. the doctor - if he takes his oath seriously - will NEVER write for a drug if it's not good for the patient. as for your "professional authority" they still have that. they still have the option of saying yes or no to the patient. by the way, generic drugs never have to have equivalency to the branded drugs. only up to 80%. they don't go through the rigorous testing that the branded drugs have to go through. the clinical testing ... etc and showing the same safety. that's kinda scary if you are taking a drug to save your life - no?
Because the doctors receive all sorts of goodies from the aforementioned companies. If the Viagra people bring lunch every 3 months, I ain't going to complain.
They are too busy working, for one thing. The other is that they do get lots of nice lunches, pens, and gifts from big Pharma, so why should they complain to the hand that "feeds" them and their staff lunch every so often? Even so, most doctors will not practice "McMedicine" and give a person what s/he wants just because it sounds like a good idea to the patient. That said, a doctor who respects his/her patient will explain why this or that drug might be worth trying or why not. Patients still have the right to be partners for their own care with physicians.
I think Consumer advertising is an invalable tool to compliment a doctors practice. Most of us think of DTC (Direct to Consumer Advertising) as only those ads that appear on TV. The fact is that those activities are only a miniscule portion of a pharmaceutical DTC program. There are tons of DTC literature that is created every year by every disease area in the country that helps patients better understand their condition and arm them to ask the right question from the doctor.The fact is that today the MD office is a business model. A Primary Care doctor gets paid only about $30- $50 per patient visit after all the insurance agreements are taken care of. So MDs naturally want to 'process' as many patients as they can each day- which limits the leisure of lengthy conversations that we were once used to with our MD.So DTC fills in this gap- and MDs recognize it as a valuable resource. They want you and I to come in with a rough idea of your symptoms or what you have and armed with questions- they really don't have the time now adays to ask a zillion questions from you to get the one they need!

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