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Medical groups, state senator seek drug company disclosures
BY: Kellie Houx, Associate Editor
Pending legislation could require drug companies to disclose donations and gifts to doctors and medical students. Sen. Claire McCaskill and a cadre of medical students and physicians support the initiative.
Locally, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood no longer allows pharmaceutical representatives into the complex. Dr. Steve Griffith, teacher and Department of Community and Family Medicine chairman, said staff decided to go “pharmfree,” removing the influence of pharmaceutical companies and teaching medical students to be skeptical.
“At first, we thought we needed to train our students because we know they will deal with drug company reps as soon as they graduate,” Griffith said. “Some worried about how we could teach students about new drugs because drug reps brought in samples and information. Unfortunately, that is all biased. We have learned they can learn through unbiased journals.”
Pharmaceutical companies have come under fire for their gift-giving practices, including expensive meals and vacations for physicians under the guise of educating doctors about medications. There are also smaller gifts such as pens and paper.
“Now, I provide the pens,” Griffith said.
s for samples, Griffith cautioned that doctors and residents can be fooled into writing prescriptions for expensive name brand drugs.
“As a facility that offers compassionate care, we can help with indigent care, which can come with free medicines,” he said. “We were really fortunate when a major chain decided to offer $4 generics. We know this might have been serendipity. We needed our residents to see that samples are a false economic freebie because the patients who can pay end up paying.”
McCaskill spoke to several medical school professors and students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School Aug. 28.
McCaskill, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, has joined Committee Chairman Herb Kohl in drafting legislation that would create a national registry where pharmaceutical companies would be required to disclose all gifts and payments made to physicians, hospitals and academic institutions.
McCaskill said this sort of transparency would reduce many conflicts of interest that have become part of the business of medicine.
The American Medical Student Association supports McCaskill's bill and other efforts, such as hospitals creating pharmfree policies that prohibit or limit drug company representatives.
Roseann Cyriac, a UMKC fifth-year medical student, serves as the legislative representative for the medical student association.
“Patients pay for these perks,” she said. “The drug companies are essentially spending about $10,000 per doctor in this country to court us, which is a bit much. We need policies like Lakewood's.”
The national group represents about 68,000 doctors-in-training. To help these students make better, unbiased decisions, the association has partnered with The Medical Letter Inc., an independent, peer-reviewed, nonprofit organization that offers unbiased drug evaluations to physicians and other health professionals.
“I really believe this will become another aspect added to the ethics of doctors,” Cyriac said. “We talk about how we define what it means to be a doctor. I figure policies in place and medical students adhering to these ideals will improve doctors' standings in patients' eyes.”
McCaskill said she feels proud of UMKC and the medical students who seek ways to distance themselves from drug reps.
“Drug reps are not evil or bad, but they want to sell more of their name-brand drugs,” she said. “We need to see doctors who are allowing patients to find the best medicine at the best cost and to be most effective to their patients rather than swayed by drug companies.”
Drug companies spend an estimated $15 billion to $19 billion annually on advertisements to persuade patients to ask for specific drugs. They also spend billions on courting doctors.
McCaskill expects a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
“It is about public information,” McCaskill said. “It is consumer information. We have to disclose donations as politicians. However, this will be the chance for the public to evaluate their doctors. The information should be straightforward and allow the patients to take that critical look.
“I really see this as the beginning of health care reform.”
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Locally, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood no longer allows pharmaceutical representatives into the complex. Dr. Steve Griffith, teacher and Department of Community and Family Medicine chairman, said staff decided to go “pharmfree,” removing the influence of pharmaceutical companies and teaching medical students to be skeptical.
“At first, we thought we needed to train our students because we know they will deal with drug company reps as soon as they graduate,” Griffith said. “Some worried about how we could teach students about new drugs because drug reps brought in samples and information. Unfortunately, that is all biased. We have learned they can learn through unbiased journals.”
Pharmaceutical companies have come under fire for their gift-giving practices, including expensive meals and vacations for physicians under the guise of educating doctors about medications. There are also smaller gifts such as pens and paper.
“Now, I provide the pens,” Griffith said.
s for samples, Griffith cautioned that doctors and residents can be fooled into writing prescriptions for expensive name brand drugs.
“As a facility that offers compassionate care, we can help with indigent care, which can come with free medicines,” he said. “We were really fortunate when a major chain decided to offer $4 generics. We know this might have been serendipity. We needed our residents to see that samples are a false economic freebie because the patients who can pay end up paying.”
McCaskill spoke to several medical school professors and students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School Aug. 28.
McCaskill, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, has joined Committee Chairman Herb Kohl in drafting legislation that would create a national registry where pharmaceutical companies would be required to disclose all gifts and payments made to physicians, hospitals and academic institutions.
McCaskill said this sort of transparency would reduce many conflicts of interest that have become part of the business of medicine.
The American Medical Student Association supports McCaskill's bill and other efforts, such as hospitals creating pharmfree policies that prohibit or limit drug company representatives.
Roseann Cyriac, a UMKC fifth-year medical student, serves as the legislative representative for the medical student association.
“Patients pay for these perks,” she said. “The drug companies are essentially spending about $10,000 per doctor in this country to court us, which is a bit much. We need policies like Lakewood's.”
The national group represents about 68,000 doctors-in-training. To help these students make better, unbiased decisions, the association has partnered with The Medical Letter Inc., an independent, peer-reviewed, nonprofit organization that offers unbiased drug evaluations to physicians and other health professionals.
“I really believe this will become another aspect added to the ethics of doctors,” Cyriac said. “We talk about how we define what it means to be a doctor. I figure policies in place and medical students adhering to these ideals will improve doctors' standings in patients' eyes.”
McCaskill said she feels proud of UMKC and the medical students who seek ways to distance themselves from drug reps.
“Drug reps are not evil or bad, but they want to sell more of their name-brand drugs,” she said. “We need to see doctors who are allowing patients to find the best medicine at the best cost and to be most effective to their patients rather than swayed by drug companies.”
Drug companies spend an estimated $15 billion to $19 billion annually on advertisements to persuade patients to ask for specific drugs. They also spend billions on courting doctors.
McCaskill expects a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
“It is about public information,” McCaskill said. “It is consumer information. We have to disclose donations as politicians. However, this will be the chance for the public to evaluate their doctors. The information should be straightforward and allow the patients to take that critical look.
“I really see this as the beginning of health care reform.”
Comments on "Medical groups, state senator seek drug company disclosures"
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.John D wrote on May 20, 2008 9:17 AM:
" I see the former comments are on the drug companies payroll or supported by it. There is so much information concerning the drug companies profit motive over health motive in the market place, yet little gets reported on in the mainstream media. Just go to Amazon and look up drug companies. Journalists, MD's, former editors of JAMA, ect. report how warped the process has become, away from good health and toward profit. This is not good medicine. And some MD's see this, however, just what are they suppose to do for unbiased information when the major trade journals, JAMA, New England Journal are all mouth pieces of the profit motivated health industry? Can doctors make competent medical decisions without adequite information on drugs, not really. Innovation on health does not drive research, marketing and profit does. "
Anonymous wrote on Sep 15, 2007 12:42 PM:
" Americans love to finger point. Accountability starts with us. We demand free healthcare and drugs as a reward for our abuses - as the fattest nation in the WORLD(obesity causes mjaor health issues) we don't want to pay for it. We want someone else to. We smoke, get cancer, and want that paid for too. Our solution to the healthcare crisis? Blame the industry that is trying to pay for innovation to keep us all alive longer. Physicians want everything for free too. They love to use drug companies. They pit one company against the other bragging about this or that to incite competition to get what they want. Many are blatanly abusive and manipulative yet no one reports this. Rather, the drug companies are blamed for how they do business with a greedy and demanding customer base. Drug companies innovate and keep us alive longer. Many did so well they sadly succumbed to greed and lost their ethics. The OIG forced them to regain ethics. Banning drug companies from sharing innovations and advancements in science to healthcare providers will not decrease healthcare costs. The removal of greed and personal accountability will. "
RW Bailey wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:30 AM:
" Ah, so easy to go after the drug companies, the industry that has nearly single-handedly improved the lifespan and quality of life for millions and millions. Drugs also keep patients out of hospitals, where real medical costs pile up (drug cost runs around 15% total healthcare spends). Claire - with her populist message - believes that physicians can be influenced by sampling and by reps. I think most physicians would believe that they are capable of making medical decisions, and the the value the industry brings to them, thier staffs, and their patients far outweighs what are clearly some excesses. Those excesses are limited, however, and the industry along with the OIG is doing a fine job in self-policing. Finally, limiting research by reducing access to high-quality branded medications will eventually lead to less innovation, and worsening patient outcomes. Before the medical community decides to limit access to providers - and the associated patient-releted resources that accompany - they should get all the facts. Relying on a politician with ulterior motives is beyond the intelligence of providers and consumers alike. "