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Debate on Proposal to Ban Medical Gifts
Posted by Paul_cook
:
2008-09-21 13:36:05
In Massachusetts, a debate is raging over a bill proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick seeking to ban certain gifts from drug and medical device companies to medical professionals.
The companies can complain all they want but as a consumer, I laud the notion of limiting their influence to doctors. As much as I want to trust the doctor, at the back of my mind there lies the thought that he is prescribing a medicine that has the most commercial backing. How much does gift-giving has to influence doctors' decisions? Minimal or otherwise, I prefer that there be a level playing field as the generic drug manufacturers.
Comments
Unfortunate Things!
Posted by
summerbanks:
2008-09-21 21:21:29
It is truly unfortunate that a doctor is influenced by money or gifts. But, the pharmaceutical market is a tough one and one with a lot of money to spend. If one thing is for certain, there are always new drugs being formed and always more money to be spent on promoting those drugs.
I want my doctor to prescribe a drug because they know the medication will work for me not because if they prescribe the medication X amount of times a year they get first class tickets to anywhere in the world.
The way the financial world is going, all the pharm companies will need to give out is free gas cards.
