> You know what? Lets have the market decide. We'll
> remove federal,
> state and local government support for ALL
> healthcare, and eliminate
> third party providers, and see just how much someone
> willing to spend
> for Ambien.
Funny that you should bring this up as an example.
Just today I had a patient which had been unhappy
about the cost of ambien. So I had tried tamazepam.
But that made him feel hung over the next morning. So
then we tried triazolam, which is shorter acting.
Well, today I got a message "Wants to go back to
Ambien. He'll pay the higher rate."
Are doctors influenced by drug companies? Sure. But
not as blatently as you present it. But don't assume
that higher drug costs mean corruption. It might just
mean that expensive drugs are being used properly. I
had a patient today with restless leg syndrome. It
has been ruining her life. I could try to older
non-FDA approved drug Sinemet which is cheaper and has
more side effects, or I could use the newer Requip. I
chose Requip. Yes I had a rep in recently to remind
me of the drug and I probably would not have written
for it if they had not come in. But I did NOT choose
it because of some kickback. Rather, I chose it
because I felt it was better for my patient. Newer
drugs are frankly better (and more expensive).
If you came to see me with an ulcer, would you want me
to treat you with Zantac (1st generation) or Nexium
(3rd generation). There is a cost-effectiveness
curve. Most people want the most effective product
that is available. And that effectiveness comes at a
price. So the next time you are sick, tell the doctor
that you don't want the most effective stuff and that
you will just make by with technology from 15 years
ago.
So reps focus their efforts on convincing doctors that
a particular drug is best for patients, not that we
own them scripts to payback some perk. I consider
that a perk, such as a lunch, is someone paying for my
time to listen. I have MANY reps that buy me lunch
and I never ONCE have written a script for their
product. I came, ate, listened, and then made what I
felt was the best choice for my patients.
Kevin
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