Groups plan new fight to limit pharma-doctor ties

Do these "proud' academic centers also want to restrict the dollars it recieves from the industry for research? speaking engagements? or is it that these institutions of higher learning are not recieving their fair share and want attention drawn to this issue? Its amazing that samples are included in their rant...these help pts and in many cases the only meds the ever recieve and its actually funny that a doctor's ethics can be bought by a pen, pad and food...wow! the issue is the industry or what they are learning/teaching at these fine institutions?

how, pray tell do we expect physicians, LNP's, PA's to keep current given the work load many of them bear. The effort to restrict pharma rep activity is part of the liberal agenda to hinder what makes this country great, Capitalism. Let's give our healthcare providers some credit in dealing with this so called "ethical" issue.

If you want real reform, let us start at FDA which is now functioning as a front end for big pharma. All new drug efficacy and safety trials ( specifically Phase III and beyond) must not be left to the drug companies. The drug companies should pay fees to the government (not to FDA directly). This would reduce the pressure on the FDA advisory committees to make decisions that might hurt the drug industry (They are often asked to opine with a sword over their head) 2) Ban direct-to -consumer advertising. Just as liquor ads are banned on TV, so should the drug ads. 3)Universities should NOT receive any money from drug companies or the clinical trial companies for doing clinical trials. They should instead bid for and get their money from the government funds (the corpus of money paid by drug companies for phase III and IV clinical trials). In the current system there is a lot of temptation for the so called" Thought leaders" to be corrupted by the big Pharma. 4) Stop bad-mouthing the med reps. They are just doing their jobs for a living. If you get a lemon for a car, do you kill the car salesman? --You would go after the auto manufacturer! 5) The biggest headache for practicing physicians comes from PBMs, which routinely deny prescriptions and harass doctors with requests for drug substitutions. Ban PBMs and ask the drug companies to directly negotiate drug prices with consumers and the government 6) There are certainly more creative ways for University Hospitals to show they are ethical. Many university professors, clinical trial coordinators , nurses are on payrolls of big Pharma as advisors, guest speakers, thought leaders, clinical researchers etc. Create checks on all these activities before shooting the med reps! A pen, a paper pad or Pizza are not the root cause of all the problems affecting the practice of medicine today.

As a Patient at both Private Physician Offices, Greenville Hospital System Clinics, and the Greenville Free Clinic (past Years) I wish to address my opinion as a Post Heart Surgery Mitrol-Valve Replacement Patient and current Cardiology Patient. I am also a patient in the Internal Medicine Clinic at the Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, South Carolina. Ok, I lost my job at Pierburg, Inc. (a B.M.W. autoparts supplier/manufactoring plant) after open heart surgery to save my life due to my mitrol-valve closing up (growing together) from a premature related birth defect. My company fired me on June 25, 2001 after I raised their insurance rates across the board. Their excuss was that I could not have my medical leave extended after heart surgery from a written request by my Heart Surgeon for 90 days after surgery date of June 15, 2001. My medical and prescription insurance along with all other insurance coverage was ended on June 30, 2001. Around October 2001 I lost my primary care from Hillcrest Family Practice, Simpsonville, South Carolina due to no medical insurance or income to pay for medical care. In November 2001 I was able to become a Free Clinic Patient for free medical care services that I needed to continue my Coumadin Blood Thinner Thearapy to keep blood clots from forming on my #29 St. Jude Mechanicl Heart Valve plus, Prothombim/INR Blood Test to check my blood thinner levels. The free clinic relies on gift supplies from Physicians, Hospitals, Pharmacist, and most possible friendly drug reps who can donate prescription drug samples to help the clinic with the many uninsured patients that fall through the medicare/medicaid cracks but, without the free clinic would have no continued medical care. After I recieved my Social Security Disability and Medicare I was transfered to the Greenville Hospital System Clinics for continued care. Also, I have a Cardiologist in the Greenville area who Anticoagulation Nurses have given me Coumadin Medication Samples left by the Drug Reps who know that not all patients can get prescription assistance or have financial problems thus dont always have the money to purchase their prescription drugs when needed. A few times I was in this position where I had to rely on the Free Coumadin Medication Samples left at the Cardiology Office by a careing Drug Representative who knew that there would be patients who would need these samples to get by on. So, if anyone with a flat out personal vandetta to hurt the Physician, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practicioner, or other health care provider and Pharmacy Representative by interfereing with the current relationship of gifts and free medication samples given to these over worked medical professionals, don't forgett your also hurting the financially poor patients that they care for on a daily basis. If you think that the Medicare Part D. Program and Hospital Emergency Room visits can take care of these patients as well, "Pull Your Head Out Of The Sand, and rethink who gets the worst blont of the Physician/Pharmacy Rep. breakup blow! I and a few million other americans (possibly, your family members, or close friends as well). I think this current relationship between Physician and Pharmacy Rep should be left alone. Try repairing and updating the stupid Medicare Part D. Plan! It dosent work well, just ask me!
I guess what do I know? I am just a stupid patient who dosent mateer! The NUT who thought of this fight to pick on Physicians and the Pharmacy Representative most likely has excellent Medical, Surgical, and Prescription Insurance coverage and also, dosent know how to live like a hard working honest tax paying citizen trying to make ends meet with the Doctors help when available.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Griffin
TAG032562@Juno.Com
(feel free to Email me)