MD's Labor Under Drug Reps Thumbs

Today, the Public Library of Science Journal, Medicine, published more evidence confirming the pharmaceutical industry's control over prescription drugs in the United States. One study, a graphic revelation of the tactics used to manipulate physicians into selling drugs, was funded by a grant created by the 2004 settlement between Warner-Lambert [a division of Pfizer, Inc.] and the attorneys general of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, regarding allegations that Warner-Lambert violated State consumer protection laws by conducting an unlawful marketing campaign for the drug Neurontin, aka gabapentin. The second study details the impact of drug reps' sales visits on prescription behavior in regards to gabapentin.

This post concerns the first study, which is actually a summary of expert testimony in a litigation against a New Hampshire law prohibiting the sale of prescription data. According to the author, drug reps manipulate physicians through an unhealthy dose of gifts, services and flattery including: wining and dining, targeted gifting, script tracking, sample dumping, friendship funding and positioning as a reliable source of education about the specific drug in the drug rep's portfolio. Pharmaceutical companies purchase doctors' prescription records and target only those MD's who are prescription happy. Ultimately and insidiously, the MD's prescriptive behavior marches in perfect sync with the drug reps' sole intent and purpose: get physicians to prescribe the most expensive, most promoted drugs to the most people possible. Other critical reviews of these findings may be accessed here.

Shahram Ahari, one of the authors and a former Eli Lily drug rep, concludes "The concept that reps provide necessary services to physicians and patients is a fiction... Every piece of information provided is carefully crafted to increase market share for targeted drugs." What can doctors do to realign themselves with the hippocratic oath and truly help patients? Obtain information about prescription drugs from other than the manufacturers thereof.