As, this topic has come up a few times in class i thought you all would like to check it out. I look forward to reading your last responses of the semester.
http://www.nofreelunch.org/index.htm
I am truly melancholic to inform you that this will be your last Medical Sociology entry... Its been a great semester. You lot are some of the brightest Medical Sociology students yet. I Hope that you've been able to take something out of this class that will help you down the road.
I wish you the best in you final semesters here,
Sincerely,
Ms. Simmons
36 comments:
"I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan..." These words are part of the original Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine in an ethical manner. Although, slightly different today, the oath still emphasizes the same ethical delivery of healthcare for every individual, in every situation.
Unfortunately, however, in today's society some doctors have lost sight of this oath and promise made to their patients. The incentives from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe and endorse their products are just too great to resist, and so they compromise their morals and values to reap the benefits. With this said, I feel that what the No Free Lunch Organization is doing is phenomenal. It is small organizations like these that can provide the spark needed for a large-scale social movement. It seems to me that the members of this organization are the individuals who are in their field for the right reasons. They do not care about making that extra money, or going on all expense paid vacations, but truly care about quality patient care. Personally, these are the healthcare providers that I would trust with my health, and those who I have the utmost respect for.
I found this website to be very interesting. I was not able to view the list of physicians who are participate but I really wish I could see if any of my local providers are part of it. I think that the idea that they do not allow drug company to guide their practice is great. A physicians practice should be guided by their skill and nothing else. Another issue with these drug company promotions is that they are part of the reason prescriptions are so expensive, the more cups they give away, the more "seminars" in vacation destinations, the more the price of drugs goes up. If we got rid of all these extra unnecessary costs then people in the United States may actually be able to afford their prescriptions.
I think it is admirable that these physicians make the choice to do what they believe is right rather than what benefits their bank account the most. I believe that people should be physicians because they want to help people, not because they want to be rich. As I was made aware of the effects that drug companies have on physicians I know that it will affect the way I choose to practice in the future.
I think this organization is a remarkable one. In this class we see how awful and corrupt our medical system is so it was good to see that for once health professionals are taking a stand and doing something to help the public. I think the doctors in this group are amazing for taking a stand. Too many doctors forget why they went into medicine, which is to provide the best care you can with the patients wellbeing being the most important factor. Pharmaceutical companies are corrupting doctors and putting our health at risk. It's easy to fall into the trap of the pharmaceutical companies and is very appealing with all the free gear, food, and conferences that look like a vacation. I think more doctors should join this group and I hope that my doctor is one of them.
Did anybody look up UNECOM on this? It got a D rating! That's definitely something to think about. As a starving college student, I'm not one who turns down free things, but I think that the way the pharmecutical companies have become so integrated into the practice of medicine. Medicine is something that should be practiced to help people and it should be something that focuses on using the most unbiased data possible. I think it's scary how we can find less and less data in the field that has not been produced by someone trying to make a profit off of a certain outcome. I also find it a little scary that so many healthcare professionals seem to go into the field for the money.
I found this website to be really interesting. I like the fact that it sums up what we have been learning in medical sociology all year. I am happy to see that people are taking a stand against pharmaceutical companies and deciding to help people first and make money second. I tried to look up my primary care physician but there was an error so I hope I can check back another time. If my primary care doctor is not a member I think I would consider mentioning it to her and see what her response would be. I have learned a lot in this class and hope I can use some of the insights I have gained to help others as I continue in a medical oriented career.
It is very upsetting to see how much of what we end up hearing from our doctors is so strongly influenced by pharmaceutical companies. I would like to think that doctors would not be so easily influenced in a field that they have so much training for, but there is a lot of data showing that free gifts and lunch actually do work to affect doctors' behavior.
What is the most unsettling to me is that doctors and other health care professionals are experts on topics that most people do not understand or have a lot of information on. We trust our doctors completely to put the doctor-patient relationship first and make decisions for us that our in our best interest. Without even realizing it, many doctors are creating a relationship with pharmaceutical companies that trumps the doctor-patient relationship. We have learned that all knowledge is socially created, but it is very important to recognize who is created this new knowledge and what are the motives behind it?
I think this website to be really interesting. I like how it really shows you that there are health professionals out there who want to take a stand against drug companies and are making it known.
I like that there are health care providers out there who want to put their patients first and the health of them instead of just making themselves some money. I think the reason a lot of people go into this field in the first place is to try to help other people and benefit our society.
I think we put so much faith into our doctors and think that they will inform us on what we really need to make us healthy, and its unsettling to me that a lot of what they say is biased towards whatever pharmaceutical company is giving them free lunches or money etc to promote their drugs. I think it is up to us to realize that our knowledge is socially constructed but its hard to think who is really creating this knowledge.
This website is very interesting. Since I am not a medical biology major I never think about how the doctors act or what is really going on behind the scenes. Is a free lunch really worth it? After learning in class the types of bribes that medical personnel have previously taken, I am glad to see that there are doctors out there that are willing to stand up against what is wrong and not just go with what all the others are doing. It gives hope that there are people out there who are not greedy and actually enjoy what they are doing and care for the people that need it.
There is one comment by someone on the website saying that promotion is just a part of our society and that gifts are a part of promotion so these promotional gifts are completely acceptable part of the world. It also says that doctors should not need to be held to a higher moral standard than any average person. I don't feel this is true at all. Doctors take an oath when they get their degree. They promise to give patients the best medical care possible. As citizen pouring thousands of dollars in to our health care every year we should be able to believe that as true without second guessing them constantly. I don't want to have to think about why my doctor might be prescribing me something. I want to know he/she is doing it because it is the best thing for me, not for his/her pocket. There is a reason they get paid the big bucks, because they need to act above this type of thing. I'm happy to see something is being done about it. I hope this site gets much bigger than it is right now. Doctors should take pride in their work and I believe that is the purpose of this organization. I feel that doctors should be trying their hardest to find cost-efficient ways to help their patients. If there is something that can be done at home to help their ailment then lets do that instead! lets give them generic brands every time we can. I'm excited to tell my friends and co-workers at my internship about this website in hopes that they will join the bandwagon!!
"I, __________________, am committed to practicing medicine in the best interest of my patients and on the basis of the best available evidence, rather than on the basis of advertising or promotion.
I therefore pledge to accept no money, gifts, or hospitality from the pharmaceutical industry; to seek unbiased sources of information and not rely on information disseminated by drug companies; and to avoid conflicts of interest in my practice, teaching, and/or research."
The above is the pledge that any healthcare provider can take and join the no free lunch directory. I found it very interesting how easy it was for these providers to become part of this great organization, but was unable to view the directory...I think it would have been neat to see how many actually have participated and took this pledge. I think that in our society today, it is hard to focus on providing care that is best for our patients, and may health care providers lose sight of this and give into the incentives that pharmeceutical companies give out. I find this organazation very interesting, and think that what they are doing is fantastic, and if more providers would take part in this, then maybe we could slowly decrease the amount of medicalization our society is taking.
I work in the health field now and see all the pharmacy reps coming and going with all sorts of free promotional gimics. The sad thing is that the money they spend on massive dinners at 5 star restaurants and the lavish lunches they bring to the hospital, could be better put to use in lowering costs of medication for the elderly, who already live on fixed incomes, but are also the group in the most need for medication. I know of on drug company that spent thousands of dollars on a dinner to promote their chemotherapy drug which can be one of the most expensive treatments in health care. There needs to be laws set that banned this type of advertising.
The issue with pharmaceutical companies is kind of a big part of my life right now. I'm suffering from a medical illness that requires me to take at least 5 prescription medications daily. I went from being "anti-medication" to being forced to take it. I am curious to know if my doctor chose the medications I am currently taking based on the drug companies or if he really selected them because they are helping me.
"Is there a medication loGo on the pen you are using right now?"
This is one of the first things that caught my eye when I viewed the website and it is part of the questions form the "CAGE" phrase that if you answer yes to two of these, you may be considered a "drug comapny dependent". I personally found this question the most interesting because as I sit here and look at the collection of pens I have at my desk just about every one of them has some sort of logo on it, including ones for medical reasons. I think this just proves the websites points in the fact that the drug companies are out to get us. (including me with my pens! haha). As I viewed the rest of the website I found it interesting and liked to view the list of physicians that are a part of this movement. It's nice to know that some doctors out there are willing to take a stand and actually use what they learned in medical school to help their patients rather than just turning to a new drug to help their patients feel better.
It is all part of our society. We are raised to compete with the next person no matter what it is for. Everything we do seems to be a business. Business will do what ever it takes to get the consumer to buy their product, drug companies are included. The government does not regulate drugs companies appropriately which further allows them to bribe doctors to prescribe their drug even if their clinical trials were inconclusive. Who is going to stop them? The FDA sure isn't and doctors are too busy with the influx of patients and paper work and insurances and drug companies to try to sort it all out. You hope that they make educated decisions and do not just say yes to get them off their shoulders. I agree with this campaign and think that is sends a strong message to doctors and the drug companies.
I really like the idea of this pledge/organization. I would definately consider looking for a doctor that has taken this pledge. Knowing that my healthcare provider has no bias or obligation toward prescribing a certain drug is at the very least comforting. Drugs can have such a huge affect on the body, whether its through the actual mechansim of the drug or side affects. Because of this it drug companies shouldn't be allowed to manipulate people in the way they do. The enourmous amounts of money that go into marketing these drugs only increases the cost of them. A prescription should only be written when a doctor sees that the benifits of a drug for an individual outways the risks of the drug. The way it works now is that patients see ads on TV and go in to see the doctor asking for a specific drug. Also when doctors are giving out free samples of drugs the patient are clearly going to go with that drug. So I think that the goals of this group are benificial to society. I will look to see if my doctor and future doctors are part of this.
The fact that a website like this is even needed speaks volumes about what has become of medicine. There was a time when drug companies and doctors had one goal and that was to help people and now it has changed to helping themselves. In a sense it is good to see all the doctors that support this website but it makes you think about all those who do not. The doctors who are persuaded by fancy lunches or other incentives are no longer looking out for the interest of their patients. They are looking out for themselves and those drug companies are looking for profit.
I am one that does not like to take a lot of medications and because of my schooling and work profession, I make sure to know everything I can about a medication before just taking it. However there are a lot of people who do not have the same education as me and who put there trust in their doctors hands. They expect that their physician is going to do what's best for them However that is not always the case. Some physicians prescribe meds because they are endorsing them and not because they are what is best. Individuals need to educate themselves more on their conditions and what they should be taking and they should stand up to the doctors and demand that they want someone who has the patients interests in mind and not the pharmaceutical companies.
It is very obvious to see that pharmaceutical companies have become such a large part of our society through media, doctors, and even in casual conversation. It is troubling to think that a person could go to the doctor in need, and wind up be prescribed a drug based on how much incentive the doctor gets rather than the doctor making the decision based on what is most cost effective, and worse yet what have the least side affects. This website really reinforced what we have been talking about all year with looking at how drug companies have simply become a part of our society. The pen amnesty piece was very interesting too, just looking around my room I saw two pens with prescription drug names on them, neither of which had I used or heard of, this really shows how far the drug companies are willing to go to get their names out into society.
As I read through this website I had a realization. The best people at their job in all of America is advertisers. This is not a major surprise as unthinkable amounts of money get dumped into these departments but think about it these people are payed to do one thing and they are damn good at it. Whenever I think of the schematic for advertisement I always think Walmart first. This is truely one of the most ingenious companies ever, cornering our every interest and weakness and marketing it to us in such an irresistable manner that you of course go and by numerous amounts of nearly useless items without even realizing it. Drug advertisement has taken this formula from the traditional retail world and implemented in the medical retail world and like with Walmart, we are suckers for the shinny pens and bright advertisement. I appreciate what this agency is trying to do in bringing this fact to our attention but in some regards I am also saddened by the existance of this organization. The very fact that we need to have this pointed out speaks volumes to the type of society we are becoming and as a future medical professional that is not an environment that I want to be part of.
After looking over the website I am relieved that there are doctors out there that just tell the drug reps to piss off. I would like to go to a doctor's office and know that his behavior towards myself and other patients isn't determined by the fact that drug reps are pulling the strings behind the scenes. An interesting concept that this website promoted is that medical students take action and attempt to become the role models for their professors as opposed to the other way around. If I were ever approached by a drug representative I would tell them to stop wasting their time along with mine because I wouldn't want to be the type of doctor that prescribes a specific kind of medication because of the kinds of gifts I get from drug reps.
It is a disappointment to think, as we have learned both in class and is evident from this website, that our doctors can be so easily persuaded to prescribe one drug over another, or to prescribe the drug at all. The idea that our health and ability to overcome illness is so tied into a corporate world, when all we want to do is be able to breathe more easily, or walk when we get up in the morning. I am glad that this site exists, and commend their efforts to expose the bias of doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
Our society has placed an emphasis on obtaining as much wealth and status as possible even at the expense of others' well-being. It is no surprise doctors and other health practitioners are tempted to hand out the high priced medications rather than look toward generic alternatives. Some of the website's studies point out that the pharmaceutical companies only supply doctors with supplementary material pertaining to possible ailments that could be treated with their product along with how the drugs biologically work. Yet, they rarely give out information containing evidence for the effectiveness of their therapy. The health care industry has shifted its focus from providing the best care for patients in favor of the most profitable. Marketing strategies are more likely to be invested in than experimental trials, usually leading to an oversaturation of a market already providing less-than-effective drugs. It's just a sad state of affairs when medical students are bombarded with temptations like paraphernalia or food before their careers are set in motion.
I think it is horrible that drug companies buy out doctors so they can sell/prescribe their drugs. Doctors should not be influenced by drug companies, but rather by the wanting of doing what is best for the patient. I like the no free lunches thing, its really cool. It is interesting how they are asking med students to set the example for their professors, and that they are willing to have pen exchanges (no questions asked) so there are no more drug company pens circulating. Hopefully, one day there will be no doctor being payed by drug companies, that way they can just focus on what their profession is meant to do: cure people, make them feel better.
~Cami
I started in the "Medical Students" section of the webpage, since I am planning to head off to medical school assuming I get accepted. Disregarding the best interest of patients in exchange for personal financial gain is something I have a pretty strong opposition to, considering that monetary gain is not the reason I am entering this profession. I really have no idea whether this topic is a part of the curriculum in the schools where I have applied, but now I'm really interested to find out. (This is a new question I can ask during interviews!) I am certainly more aware of the problem after studying it in class, and I'd like to make other people more aware, too. I like the Pen Amnesty Days idea, where drug companies' pens can be traded in for "No Free Lunch" pens to raise awareness!
I found it surprising that UNE is so far down on the list of promotion-free med schools. I also think this website reinforces what we have been talking about all semester, that pharmaceutical companies have a major influence on doctors which then greatly influences our lives. It is unfortunate that some doctors are no longer looking out for their patients best interests and are more concerned about their bank accounts. I think more facilities should consider taking this pledge to practice medicine with their patients best interest in mind.
This is a great idea and campaign. To get rid of the bias involved in some medical treatments would be more than ideal. To think that these biases have been brought on through payments and rewards is downright unethical, in my opinion. I feel like if a physician or other health care professional were to see the pledge and not jump on board with the campaign, then they probably shouldn't be in the field. The health care field is pretty well-paid and probably doesn't need all these rewards, but the greed consumes all.
Admittedly, pharmaceutical companies do have some damn fancy pens, but I will do my best to leave them on the table and not promote this ridiculous world of drug advertisement.
This campaign I think is very useful, however drug companies have more resources and enticing offers for doctors to pull them in. Although No Free Lunch could really benefit the patient, doctors may be more likely to still refer back to pharmaceutical companies. This really poses a problem for the patient because they may not understand the forces that the drug companies have on their physician. I think if larger companies or organizations got behind no free lunch then it could really be beneficial to the patient, but in the end, drug companies are too large to try to overcome.
What a breath of fresh air to see that their are at least some physicians who recognize the current corruption of America's health care system. I would feel a lot better about the health care I recieve if i knew that the doctors I was seeing was part of this organization. I would know that my diagnoses and prescriptions were based solely on his medical opinion about what is best for me as his patient, and not be influenced by certain affilations that they have with drug companies. Unfortuantely it will take a total reconstruction of our current health care system in order to have health care from all doctors that is like this! Thank you for a great semester!
I shadow my doctor off and on and the hospital he is at has a drug representative that comes and talks to all the doctors. I remember he came in one time when I was shadowing and was an upbeat guy with tons of samples and was talking to my doctor about some of the new drugs. He actually gave me some pamphlets on the new drugs that he gave samples of to the hospital. That is really trying to push his companies drugs onto people. Though, my doctor always prescribes, if available, the 4$ generic brands that Walmart offers.
I think that it is great that doctors are beginning to say no to the drug companies. There is a lot of corruption in the medical industry and our doctors can be the biggest contributors to making a positive change.
I think it's important that they are targeting medical students and trying to influence them to learn about the effect pharmaceutical companies may have on them as they go through med school and to try and form organizations to prevent this. It is probably harder to change the ways of currently practicing physicians, but it will be more effective to start at the root of the problem and inform future physicians before they decide to give in to pharm reps. This approach is more upstream, and therefore more preventative.
It is rather shocking to think that any of us may have been prescribed medicines in the past based on an influential drug rep at our doctors office. Everytime I see a well dressed individual with a briefcase at the hospital I intern at I ask around to find out if they happen to be drug reps. It's interesting to see it in practice and even more ironic that recently a film called Love and Other Drugs was based off of this same topic. Although the film is a romantic comedy it is based on a drug rep looking to up his drug company competitors.
This website is an "eye opener"! I know that there is a lot of advertisements out there that are only concerned with making a profit, and sadly those few that actually want to make a difference have to sell out to drug companies just so they can have their name put out there. Every medical career has some sort of oath that must be taken and soon that oath will ave to be revised to incorporate today's new truisms. I know that the economy is bad and we need to find a way to survive, but is it really necessary to look more at the financial aspect of medicine to make a difference in the world? If we were to ask our 10 year-old self what we wanted to do in the world, they would reply in saying that they want to make a difference and be famous. Hardly anyone would say that they wanted to make a profit. If they heard that then they would kick the crap out of our older self. I gonna miss this class.
This website was very enlightening. The site seems not to be working and so I was unable to see if any physicians in my area were a part of this community. I'd be interested to speak to some of these physicians and see how it impacts their practices. Ethically this philosophy makes a lot of sense. I think it is very important that physicians be educated on each medication independently of what the drug companies want them to believe. This knowledge should be what they base their prescribing practices on and not who gave their family the best vacation last year. Unfortunately I think a lot of physicians lose track of the true reason they because physicians in the first place, to help people, and instead get caught up in who has the biggest pay check.
It sad that theres a website devoted to this but atleast theres still physicians out there that care and are going against the pharmaceutical companies. I read in one of the articles we had to read for class and it said that one doctor got a trip and another got seats to a baseball game. This shows that there are doctors out there who dont care about their patients and only care about getting free gifts.
I like their response to the last question in the FAQ: "Aren't you just communists?" Even if this organization did support socialized medicine, which they deny, what is so wrong with that? What is so wrong about people getting equal access to health care? They claim they support the capitalism that drives people to create more effective and safer drugs, but they also acknowledge that this is not what we currently have. I believe that the bribery and bias involved in decisions regarding prescription drugs will not end until the pharmaceutical companies lose some power, preferably to the government. Go socialized medicine!
"I, __________________, am committed to practicing medicine in the best interest of my patients and on the basis of the best available evidence, rather than on the basis of advertising or promotion.
I therefore pledge to accept no money, gifts, or hospitality from the pharmaceutical industry; to seek unbiased sources of information and not rely on information disseminated by drug companies; and to avoid conflicts of interest in my practice, teaching, and/or research."
I think that this is a fantastic idea and the only thing that bothers me about this site is that it is necessary for it to exist in the first place. It really upsets me that our society is built so strongly on buying people out and the highest bidder with the best gift will be the company that can determing what medication and what treatment we are given, rather than the actual research and data supporting the benefits of the drug. I have recently seen a movie (Love and Other Drugs) and it focuses on a young man who is working at a drug firm and is required to essentially buy out doctors. He must fight with competing drug companies and whoever sends the doctors on the best vacations or buys them the nicest dinners are the companies that win the battle. I have so much respect for the few doctors who sign these papers and stand up for the true meaning of medicine and put their patients first and primarily over making a few extra bucks and going on a vacation.
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