Medical Students & AARP Fight To End Gifts From Pharmaceutical Companies To Do

[Guest guest]

Medical Students And AARP Fight To End Gifts From Pharmaceutical

Companies To Doctors

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=51031

The AARP and the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) are

working together to make prescription drugs more affordable for all

citizens of New York. The two organizations announced today that they

support legislation that will require drug manufacturers to publicly

report how much they spend on gifts designed to influence doctors to

prescribe their new, costly, brand name drugs.

" Because it often prompts doctors to prescribe drugs that they

otherwise would not, the pharmaceutical industry devotes a

considerable portion of its marketing budget to these kinds of

gifts, " says AMSA President Jay Bhatt. " But we believe the practice

is unethical and unnecessarily increases the costs of prescription

drugs in this country. "

The introduction and passage of the New York State Pharmaceutical

Drug Manufacturer and Wholesaler Disclosure Act will raise awareness

of this common practice by forcing physicians to disclose the nature,

extent and impact of their relationships with drug companies.

Recent and overwhelming research indicates that the interaction with

pharmaceutical sales representatives influences the prescribing

habits of physicians in ways that are not always in the best interest

of patients. AMSA, the country's largest independent organization of

physicians-in-training, believes that physicians should rely on

objective, evidence-based information to make prescription decisions,

and that the involvement of pharmaceutical sales representatives is

inappropriate. AMSA is the only national medical professional

organization that accepts absolutely no pharmaceutical advertisements

or sponsorship from any pharmaceutical company. In 2002, AMSA

launched the PharmFree Campaign to educate and train medical students

to ethically interact with the pharmaceutical industry.

" It's very promising to see the next generation of doctors so

committed to keeping the influence of drug companies out of our

physicians' offices and medicine cabinets, " said Lois Aronstein, AARP

New York State Director. " Together, we are urging the Senate to stand

up to the drug companies and do the right thing in September by

passing legislation that brings this issue and information into the

public's eye - where it belongs. "

[Guest guest]

Gretchen,

Thanks so much for this article. A friend of mine used to work for a

very expensive restaurant a few towns away, and they had " drug

parties " at least one or two times each week! No these were not

parties to consume drugs. They were incredibly expensive dinners

hosted by the drug company sales reps for all of the local doctors.

Usually there would be some sort of presentation by the sales person,

and then dinner @ $50-$100 per plate, paid for by the drug company,

and then also free promotional stuff. She told me that often the

attendance was well over 100 doctors, and that there were some who

could be counted on to attend every party. Apparently, some doctors

would show up regardless of the product, in order to get a free

dinner.

That's just one restaurant, in one town, in one state. How many

hundreds of thousands of dollars are these companies spending monthly

to schmooze doctors around the country?

It's good to know that some people are trying to effect a change!

>

> Medical Students And AARP Fight To End Gifts From Pharmaceutical

> Companies To Doctors

>

> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=51031

>

> The AARP and the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) are

> working together to make prescription drugs more affordable for all

> citizens of New York. The two organizations announced today that

they

> support legislation that will require drug manufacturers to

publicly

> report how much they spend on gifts designed to influence doctors

to

> prescribe their new, costly, brand name drugs.

>

> " Because it often prompts doctors to prescribe drugs that they

> otherwise would not, the pharmaceutical industry devotes a

> considerable portion of its marketing budget to these kinds of

> gifts, " says AMSA President Jay Bhatt. " But we believe the practice

> is unethical and unnecessarily increases the costs of prescription

> drugs in this country. "

>

> The introduction and passage of the New York State Pharmaceutical

> Drug Manufacturer and Wholesaler Disclosure Act will raise

awareness

> of this common practice by forcing physicians to disclose the

nature,

> extent and impact of their relationships with drug companies.

>

> Recent and overwhelming research indicates that the interaction

with

> pharmaceutical sales representatives influences the prescribing

> habits of physicians in ways that are not always in the best

interest

> of patients. AMSA, the country's largest independent organization

of

> physicians-in-training, believes that physicians should rely on

> objective, evidence-based information to make prescription

decisions,

> and that the involvement of pharmaceutical sales representatives is

> inappropriate. AMSA is the only national medical professional

> organization that accepts absolutely no pharmaceutical

advertisements

> or sponsorship from any pharmaceutical company. In 2002, AMSA

> launched the PharmFree Campaign to educate and train medical

students

> to ethically interact with the pharmaceutical industry.

>

> " It's very promising to see the next generation of doctors so

> committed to keeping the influence of drug companies out of our

> physicians' offices and medicine cabinets, " said Lois Aronstein,

AARP

> New York State Director. " Together, we are urging the Senate to

stand

> up to the drug companies and do the right thing in September by

> passing legislation that brings this issue and information into the

> public's eye - where it belongs. "

>