Drug firms accused of prejudicing doctors' training

The big brouhaha issue is whether doctors tend to prescribe more medications from pharmaceutical companies that sponsor winter conferences in Arizona, provide hundreds of free medication samples, provide lunches for the office staff , and companies that hire doctors to educate other physicians about one of their drugs.

Doctors say they are well aware of the pharmaceuticals purpose to provide this or that service (to make money), but they’re not influenced when they prescribe to their patients.

Now 2 small studies are trying to measure the possible bias in doctors’ education, honing in on the continuing medical education (CME) courses. Neither of the studies is big enough to settle the issue but their data suggest that industry sponsorship is distorting medical education.

How come nobody asked me? I could give them the answer.

I remember having a discussion with my ob-gyn about 6-7 years ago. For some time he wanted me on some hormone replacement pill and I refused. He had just returned from a medical conference and asked me to come to the office that day to look at the research that was discussed regarding the benefits of this medication for women. I went, looked at the research, and asked ‘Who sponsored the conference?’

I don’t remember the name of the pharmaceutical company but it was the same one which produced the medication he wanted me to take. I never took it and subsequently- a few years later – that medication put more women at risk for strokes and heart attacks than it provided benefits.

I was lucky that time. Other times I probably don’t ask the right question and I’m not so lucky.

Last year there was some noise made about prohibiting drug companies from giving small gifts or paying for meals and travel. The Integrity in Science program, as part of The Center for Science in the Public Interest, also wanted to eliminate the distribution of free drug samples.
What’s scary is that this kind of behavior has been going on forever.

Ten years ago Minnesota became the first of a handful of states passing a law requiring drug makers to disclose payments to doctors. Over 20% of the state’s physicians received payments generally for giving speeches about drugs to other doctors.

Doctors say their lectures are unbiased and highly educational. To me it sounds similar to an infomercial. Don’t you think if one of your colleagues, whom you admired and trusted, spoke positively about a Microsoft software program that may work for you; you’d be more inclined to purchase that one then something produced by Dell or HP? Who are they kidding?

And none of this even touches the debate about the relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and medical students. True, students are not in a position to prescribe – not yet – but they are in a position to remember which company was nice to them.

AT least people are opening up about the subject.
Tell us what you think.
Scroll down to ‘comments’ and write to us in the blank window or email me at ruthanb@balanceyourhealth.com

Cheers Ruthan

Comments

[Carolyn Shettler]

The prejudice seems to go beyond just influencing training. It goes to the basic philosophy of Medical practice in the US. Here, Medical practice is designed to recognize only pharmaceuticals, surgery, and perhaps physical therapy as legitimate tools for health. In Medical school and residency, I learned nothing about nutrition and health. Nutrition was and is left up to dieticians and other "lesser" professionals.Doctors mainly dont have the training or experience to discover that pharmaceuticals could and should be the last, poorest approach to health. Pharmaceutical companies provide low-cost, convenient conferences where physicians learn only how to prescribe the very latest drugs. Drug reps make the rounds of medical practices, handing out free samples that physician use as starters for their patients. Physicians are told they must have their Medicaid patients on Statins Physicians are afraid NOT to learn and know all of the latest prescribing information. In a busy practice, the systems virtually exclude any possibility of truly leading a patient back to health unless the doctor happens to be one of those unusual health nuts that insists on studying up on health. And there wont be any reimbursement for that. Our systems need changing. Physicians are becoming more aware, but it would seem that a much more systematic way of helping people stay healthy is needed, not just letting people deteriorate, then minimizing symptoms with drugs that may or may not be helpful and may or may not be dangerous, just as you noted in your own example, above. Signed, a Health nut doctor.

[Jeff Iversen]

I took both my parents off of Zocor when I found that 70% of all the people that die of heart attacks and stroke do not have high cholesterol. Statin drugs have side effects like weakening the heart muscle and destroying the liver. I tried a natural approach which put them in a normal range without drugs. After a recent blood test (which was normal), our doctor asked me if I wanted to put them back on statins. Why? Why would he want to medicate someone who does not have a problem? I saw a funny video on Youtube.com that illustrates a doctor's love affair with drugs. You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYodDH4qZQo
Enjoy