Opinion

Drug companies unfairly under siege by critics of marketing practices

LETTER — Posted March 6, 2006

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Regarding "Buy your own lunch" (Article, Jan. 16): What has made so many people view pharmaceutical companies as parasites rather than the heroes of allopathic medicine?

New meds are expensive, but they soon become generic, and these new products continue to revolutionize treatment in diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.

I loved the "older, cheaper drugs are adequate" comment by No Free Lunch founder Bob Goodman, MD. Yes, use that line in court when the patient didn't get Plavix, post-stenting.

For those of us far too busy to lobby at assemblies, pharmaceutical reps often can be our first targeted contact for miracle drugs or landmark studies.

Drug companies also have been among the worst stock market performers this decade, so beware of physicians analyzing marketing efforts. They also get pounded by litigation lawyers. Many doctors view them as allies, not adversaries.

A "free" evening dinner program with a researcher who fields all questions is far less offensive to me than CME courses that charge $600 just to enroll.

James Long, MD, Andover, Minn.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/03/06/edlt0306.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn