Comments on: Medical ghost-writing influences doctors to prescribe more drugs http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/medical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: j.http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/medical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html#comment-113541 j. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:04:45 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40479#comment-113541 I wonder how much medical academia and medical associations are on the take from big Pharma. When you look at how distant Medical School faculty are from everyday medical care and how they have allowed outside forces to dictate what is "needed" in the medical community, it just makes you wonder. Take for instance the "medical home" concept that puts the onerous back on the poor primary care physicians to once again jump through a huge amount of hoops, to prove to everyone what they are already doing on a daily basis, so they can be paid just a little bit more.I know for a fact not every physician who speaks at a dinner meeting is "on the take" to push a particular drug, many of them really have seen significant improvement in their patients with a particular therapy, but when associations and medical schools push a certain non-sensical agenda it just makes one wonder...... I wonder how much medical academia and medical associations are on the take from big Pharma. When you look at how distant Medical School faculty are from everyday medical care and how they have allowed outside forces to dictate what is “needed” in the medical community, it just makes you wonder. Take for instance the “medical home” concept that puts the onerous back on the poor primary care physicians to once again jump through a huge amount of hoops, to prove to everyone what they are already doing on a daily basis, so they can be paid just a little bit more.

I know for a fact not every physician who speaks at a dinner meeting is “on the take” to push a particular drug, many of them really have seen significant improvement in their patients with a particular therapy, but when associations and medical schools push a certain non-sensical agenda it just makes one wonder……

]]> By: twawhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/medical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html#comment-113126 twaw Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:12:27 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40479#comment-113126 Again, with evidence based medicine as the initiative, is there ANY evidence that CME requirements (State controlled and manipulated) improve patient outcomes, reduce malpractice (events or insurance rates) or otherwise benefit the public or physicians. Or perhaps, CME requirements are just another bad idea, held by alot of people for a long time (kind of like the world being flat). Get rid of the requirements (as NY, VT, CO are wise enough to see), and get rid of the conflict of interest. Again, with evidence based medicine as the initiative, is there ANY evidence that CME requirements (State controlled and manipulated) improve patient outcomes, reduce malpractice (events or insurance rates) or otherwise benefit the public or physicians. Or perhaps, CME requirements are just another bad idea, held by alot of people for a long time (kind of like the world being flat).
Get rid of the requirements (as NY, VT, CO are wise enough to see), and get rid of the conflict of interest.

]]> By: SarahWhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/medical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html#comment-113118 SarahW Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:10:08 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40479#comment-113118 Nothing new, though. What do you think those CME classes on Lifetime Network's "Doctor's Sunday" were all about? Yes, there was the dual object of exposing patients to drug advertising the law otherwise restricted - and the programming disappeared with the advent of direct-to consumer advertising. Still, using the lure of CME credit to expose M.D.s to "treatment modalities" profitable to sponsors was part of the game. Nothing new, though. What do you think those CME classes on Lifetime Network’s “Doctor’s Sunday” were all about? Yes, there was the dual object of exposing patients to drug advertising the law otherwise restricted – and the programming disappeared with the advent of direct-to consumer advertising. Still, using the lure of CME credit to expose M.D.s to “treatment modalities” profitable to sponsors was part of the game.

]]> By: drmontehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/medical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html#comment-113113 drmonte Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:21:56 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40479#comment-113113 The influence of the pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers in creating the information doctors use to make clinical decisions is pervasive and unethical. The bias that is present in study designs and in how studies are reported (if they get reported - studies with unfavorable results for the drug company frequently get shelved rather than published) makes "evidence-based medicine" nothing more than a good idea that is difficult to achieve.Read Dr. Marcia Angell's book "The Truth About the Drug Companies." This book should be required reading for all healthcare providers and students.At some point the medical profession (us) has to recapture the "profession" of medicine from the business interests that now control every aspect of how healthcare is delivered. Regulating the relationships between physicians and drug companies is a good start.Monte Ladner, M.D. - fitnessrocks The influence of the pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers in creating the information doctors use to make clinical decisions is pervasive and unethical. The bias that is present in study designs and in how studies are reported (if they get reported – studies with unfavorable results for the drug company frequently get shelved rather than published) makes “evidence-based medicine” nothing more than a good idea that is difficult to achieve.

Read Dr. Marcia Angell’s book “The Truth About the Drug Companies.” This book should be required reading for all healthcare providers and students.

At some point the medical profession (us) has to recapture the “profession” of medicine from the business interests that now control every aspect of how healthcare is delivered. Regulating the relationships between physicians and drug companies is a good start.

Monte Ladner, M.D. – fitnessrocks

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