Doctors and Drug Reps - Cutting the Umbilical Cord

Slowly, but finally, something is being done about the disgrace that has infuriated a lot of us patients for years. That special bond between a doctor and his/her gift giving, mind controlling, drug rep.

On several occasions, a very dear family member who happens to be a nurse, would head out the door of her office ladened with gifts she had received from the drug rep(s) that just happened to visit that day. Sometimes it was tickets to a local sporting event, gift certificates for a free Christmas tree or Christmas ham, or a diabetic monitor just to name a few. Or, sometimes her and her co-workers would be treated to a fabulous lunch somewhere, or lunch would be catered in. These gifts may be handed out by the drug reps, but we all know who is paying for them. I am certain we can safely assume that the drug company's CEOs are not taking those expenses out of their salaries or bonuses.

On the bright side, legislators on the state and national level are finally beginning to draft laws that will require drug companies to go public with the gift giving so we as patients, will know which doctors are still on the receiving end of these gifts.

For instance, the states of Pennsylvania and South Carolina now have their own reps to call on doctors to discuss using some of the older drugs and generics. The idea is to counter the gift giving antics of the drug reps in order to promote their latest and most expensive drugs.

Last year, in the 'New England Journal of Medicine,' a national survey was published in which 94 % of the doctors polled admitted to having direct ties to the drug industry.

Research has also proven that the drug industry's budget to market new drugs to doctors has risen 275% from 1996-2004. Also on the rise are the cost of health care and the safety issues of some of the new drugs.