Big Pharma Corruption

I saw it too. Crazy stuff. I didn't intend on watching but it was on, and I got a little caught up. I already knew everything they were saying, not the exact details, but nothing outside of things that were 100% on my mind. Just confirms everything we already knew. I don't understand how people aren't in an uproar over it.

The paradox is that the higher insurance you have the greater is your risk of being framed into some unnecessary procedures which can ruin your health. My husband has recently been treated at a Swiss cardiological clinic which is considered to be a leader in Europe, but knowing his story, you'd rather risk your treatment in some remote part of Kazachstan.

Hi Andrina
In the first post in this thread IAC gave the link. Then you put any doctors name in the search and you'll see what amount of money they got, from whom and for what.

I saw that my current MD got $36 in 2015 as food/drink from 2 pharma companies, maybe attending some free dinner at a conference or maybe reps showed up at the office and brought pizza. I doubt this corrupted him but other doctors received many many thousands of dollars that may have influenced them as far as what RX they write.

Post Edited (imagardener2) : 6/3/2018 5:06:36 PM (GMT-6)

What could my doctor get as contributions from a drug company? It doesn't necessarily mean he/she is corrupt or just a big Pharma shill. Maybe not a trustworthy doctor if you saw many thousands of dollars from Abbvie donated and he/she insisted you go on Humira (Abbvie makes humira) as a first line treatment and not discuss anything else (rare). My doctor always said you need you go on this next class of meds, the patient chooses which one from these posdible options (we discuss differences; i choose).

First, a doctor cannot directly accept money as a bribe to prescribe a medication over another; illegal.

Often when drug reps visit a doctors office, they bring food; commonplace the industry over. Could be a number of pizzas, cookies, etc. A small monetary donation (around $100 or less) to the doctor is probably this. The doctor did not ask for this, it was brought by the rep and it was reported prudently.

Often drug reps/manufactures can pay for a doctor to visit one or more industry conferences. This might include the flight, room and board, and incidentals. Industry conferences give a doctor the chance to hear about the latest research, hear speakers, and visit booths of various vendors. If the donation is hundreds up to a thousand or so then it could be this. The doctor would have to agree to go, accept the reimbursement etc. This might be the only way a doctor gets to go to industry conferences, among practices that do not have extra money for travel.

My first gasteroenteroligist had $75 contributed to him over the first number of years I had UC. I asked him about it, he laughed and said most of drug reps know absolutely nothing technical about the medications. He loves to ask them something technical about TNF-alpha, see them dumbfounded and throw them out. The last year I saw him, he decided to go to a conference or two on their bill but said he wasn't going to prescribe their med more than it makes sense to (he's not obligated to do so, and they cannot force him to).

I'd say ask your doctor about it at your next apt. There might be an expalaintion.

Straydog said...
The ones that get my attention are when they get paid nearly half of their income, lol.

Katerina-b said...
just checked my new GI and looks like he received more than 190k from different drug companies, mostly Humira...

That might be a substantial portion of his annual income.