Pricing Doctors

Submitted by Bob Burton on

A proposal before the Massachusetts state Senate to ban drug company gifts to doctors is generating controversy. "To imply that doctors who have invested years and tens of thousands of dollars in their profession can be bought with a dinner or a package of Post-its is beneath contempt," wrote the husband of one doctor. But Dr. Daniel J. Carlat, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, wrote that the proposed ban "may be one of the most important pieces of healthcare legislation in years." Carlat cited former drug sales representative Sharam Ahari, who explained that "It's my job to figure out what a physician's price is. For some it's dinner at the finest restaurants, for others it's enough convincing data to let them prescribe confidently and for others it's my attention and friendship."

Main Source: 
Boston Globe, March 19, 2008
Topics: 
Ethics
Health
Marketing
Pharmaceuticals

Comments

Pani113 replied on

Oh pleeeeaaaazzzzeeee! The only thing more insulting than the comment that doctors have too much intergrity be influenced by gifts is the state of health care in this country. They hurt just as many people as they help and their bending over to Pharma's every whim is one of the major reasons why! I am almost glad I don't have health insurance. I slipped on ice a few months ago and probably fractured my wrist. I was NOT going to empty every cent in the bank I saved for the past few years because of one fall. I said ***k it, what did people do centuries ago? I went to an acupuncturist and it eventually healed anyway. It will be deformed for the rest of my life but it is functional and I still have a bit in the bank. At least for as long as the banks hold up!

Barman replied on

You put up with a broken wrist and you're happy to be deformed? You can presumably pay for a computer and an ISP unless you're posting from an internet cafe or a library, so why don't you have health insurance? You went to an acupuncturist for treatment for a fracture?

A reasonable person might conclude that your ideology might be getting in the way of your wellness.

Pani113 replied on

Well, maybe I don't have health insurance because as college adjunct, my employer does not provide it. Not that I owe YOU any explanations, but do you have any idea what health insurance costs bud??? My computer is over 8 years old and I bought it because I needed it for my job. My DIAL UP, which I also need to stay employed costs about $10 a month! You find me a health insurance plan for 10 bucks a month! And I am not EVEN going to go in to how unfairly discriminated against I am simply because I am over some arbitrary weight standard set by Pharma to sell more pills. If you don't get why some people don't have health insurance, that would really shatter the paradigms you are stuck in. As would the fact that medically induced disease is real 3rd largest killer in the U.S.

p.s. Acupuncture only costs $20 bucks a session and I only needed two sessions for pain reduction. Both she and her husband have advanced degrees in health related Western science as well. It is used to facilitate healing in all sorts of conditions including fractures. And I felt an immediate mood improvement too. A clinic would have cost me several hundred if not thousands, and I would have had to worry that if my BP was too high from the fear of being financially wiped out, that would go on record and be used against me if I ever could afford health insurance. What planet do you live on????

p.p.s My mother has medicare, broke her wrist, got medical treatment immediately, and is deformed anyway! I am slowly healing. She is getting worse! Modern medicine is a crap shoot!!!! You may find it comforting to think otherwise, but you are in denial!

ramirezjanice replied on

My concern: are Doctors inclined to give "free" drug samples copiously to patients because they are "free", instead of other medications which may be better for the patient. Research is warranted by Doctors before they begin handing out "freebees". To all the Doctors in the audience, I’m sure you’re all above suspicion.