Can we trust drug companies?
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Can we trust drug companies?
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The UK drugs firm Glaxo Smith Kline has been fined $3 Billion after admitting bribing Doctors in the USA to prescribe drugs for adults and children which were not approved. It seems to have given out
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Forums » Off duty » News & media » Can we trust drug companies?
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 3/7/2012 10:30 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3007
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 19/6/2013 |
Doctors who are in the trough with drug companies are still doctors so the medical profession in general is in the same trough regardless of whether it is a free pen, some sandwiches or a subsidized conference or a beach house in Majorca. Indeed, so embedded are we as a group that medical conferences would cease to exist as we know it unless we dug deeper into our deep pockets and payed for them ourselves. As doctors are "tight wads" (parsimonious) in general, I cannot see our doing this so before we start casting stones, take a deep breath and look at yourself, your Society (eg cardiology, GP etc) and how you are all hooked on the drug company drug called Mammon.
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 3/7/2012 10:50 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3059
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 13/6/2013 |
In Response to Re: Can we trust drug companies?: Doctors who are in the trough with drug companies are still doctors so the medical profession in general is in the same trough regardless of whether it is a free pen, some sandwiches or a subsidized conference or a beach house in Majorca. Indeed, so embedded are we as a group that medical conferences would cease to exist as we know it unless we dug deeper into our deep pockets and payed for them ourselves. As doctors are "tight wads" (parsimonious) in general, I cannot see our doing this so before we start casting stones, take a deep breath and look at yourself, your Society (eg cardiology, GP etc) and how you are all hooked on the drug company drug called Mammon. Posted by Odysseus This is an excellent introspective post as usual, but still the pharmaceutical giants are leading us & literally 'buying' us at every level of the healthcare system, & this is really a disturbing fact. |
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 1:27 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3007
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 19/6/2013 |
I think blaming drug companies for the woe of the world and their behaviour is like blaming mother for making you fat by cooking you too many cup cakes; the stockbroker blaming Enron for being unscrupulous. We are up to our eyeballs in drug company money and so much so that we are blind to it. Go ask your Society what proportion of your next conference, its conference dinner, your subscriptions etc are subsidised by drug company and associated "sponsorship". I bet you will be howled down at the next annual general meeting if you raise this. I have done so and written so and been almost pilloried for it. Medical conferences remind me of Jesus in the Temple with the money lenders, the sellers of doves etc. It is a Bagdad bazaar with stalls for doctors. I find it amusing to criticise drug companies. Look at the motes in our own eyes first. Now pass me my Boehringer biro and I will get back to my prescription pad and my subliminal prescribing....
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 2:04 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3007
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 19/6/2013 |
What is the contribution to the BMJ and this site from drug company advertising and other sponsorship? How much money is paid to Imperial College, London and numerous other British institutions by drug companies including money for research, conferences, honoraria, travel, professorial money, dinners, morning teas, biros, USB sticks, etc. I could go on. Grunt, grunt..snuffle, snuffle.
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 4:07 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3007
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 19/6/2013 |
In the mail today. Whoopee! I have been invited to a three day symposium interstate with three international speakers, 20 interstate/local speakers. Airfares and accommodation all paid for as well as a morning, afternoon tea, lunch and dinners. The usual drug company faithful will be talking as it is all very serious. The apostates will not be asked to talk. Yes, of course we can trust drug companies as they are doing this all for altruistic motives. There will be no subliminal message here. Sure, the farmer is throwing the chickens some chickenfeed. Anything for a free feed, a trip in a big aeroplane, a sterile hotel room with a chocolate on turned down crisp white sheets and a leisurely breakfast and catching up with Bob and his latest paper on his pet steroid, dipolywafflechickenwire with two new hydroxyls on C17 and a sulfhydryl group on C18 now! I think the answer is undoubtedly, Yes. P.S. I tore the invitation up. I am an apostate and can see the emperor's new clothes.
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 5:02 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 627
First: 13/4/2011 Last: 18/6/2013 |
Of course, as smart physicians, we can not trust at all drug companies. Those attitudes (Financial "partnerships" among Drugs&Device companies and some physicians), unfortunately have become commonplace nowadays. We can just take a quick look at all those new and expensive drugs advertised for Non-communicable diseases. Are these drug companies firstly compromissed with health benefits for the patients? Does anyone think those new and expensive drugs for NCDs are any better than the old and generic ones just because they are newer or more expensive???. If they are indeed, please show-me the NNTs and NNHs together with hard outcomes, instead of Surrogate outcomes, which is another trap from drug&device companies to foolish ill informed physicians and the public in general. If some physician is prescribing or defending a sort of medication against another, or certain therapeutic strategies, just because received free meals, lodging and travel expenses to medical meetings, speaking fees, or research grants from drug companies, in my opinion this physician is behaving unethically. All Best, Joey |
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 5:41 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1302
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 12/6/2013 |
It would appear more oversight is needed. we have to trust them to deliver good drugs, but there needs to be more aggressive agencies and measures to insure it is so. I think if this does not happen there will be rampant illegal activity. DuaneF |
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 6:03 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1
First: 4/7/2012 Last: 4/7/2012 |
It seems that drug companies have learned from the financial sector (banks) all types of unethical behavior. Doctors must also refuse any gifts or payments from these companies. Pharmaceutical companies and medical device industries should not be allowed to engage with education or medical research involving patients. Marketing of drugs must also be restricted. Drugs should be prescribed because of their proved benefits and not influenced or supported by marketing techniques. Science is a public or common good, like health or education and should not be submmited to private interests. We must be more strict in accepting the results of clinical trials, the "famous" "p" value must be reduced to <0.001. Decreasing the error that we accept, as well as making clear the values of the NNT and NNH, as suggested in a comment above, will eliminate most drugs that are sold in the market with little or no benefit to patients. |
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 6:27 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3007
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 19/6/2013 |
Specialists tend to rely on drug company sponsorship to fund their talks to GPs. These talks invariably mention the drug in same way and thus may compromise the specialist who becomes a ventriloquist's dummy for the drug company. Some may vehemently disagree. For specialists who do not wish to play this game, the stakes may be high as their notoriety and standing may be compromised as GP's who do like this game with its free restaurant meals etc will not be aware of ethically motivated specialists who don't play the game. Thus we doctors aid and abet the game with us the chickens in the barnyard while other arguably more principled doctors may be banished from the barnyard to fend for themselves. Most of us are up to our necks in this one. Drug companies in my opinion must secretly despise us. Now, chook, chook, chooks, come, it is feeding time.... Of course we trust them. We trust them with our specialists and our patients and with our lives.
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Re: Can we trust drug companies?
posted at 4/7/2012 3:26 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1341
First: 13/4/2010 Last: 19/6/2013 |
Odysseus - in my practice we banned drug reps over a decade ago and, at a recent two day education event, I stayed out of the one lecture sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. And I do not use drug company pens, post-its or whatever. In addition, I never prescribe by brand name except when clinically relevant (e.g. cetain anticonvulsants). As doctors we do not have to have any direct involvement with "the trough" - those that do choose to and some of us choose not to. |
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