Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo2012
A common problem in illegal drug and device marketing cases is doctors’ willingness to delude themselves into thinking that cash, lucrative trips and other kickbacks do not affect them, said Mr. Morris, the chief counsel.
“Somehow physicians think they’re different from the rest of us,” Mr. Morris said. “But money works on them just like everybody else.”
Mr. Sullivan, the United States attorney, said officials hoped to send a strong message to doctors. “I have been shocked at what appears to be willful blindness by folks in the physician community to the criminal conduct that corrupts the patient-physician relationship,” he said
Source NY Times full article |
A rather simple fix was/is employed by the medical group I worked for. Pharmaceutical reps had no access to the providers directly. They met with the chief pharmacists at the medical centers. A pharmacy board consisting of pharmacists and physicians met regionally to discuss each medication. Only after evaluation of the cost/benefit/effectiveness/safety of a med could it be added to our formulary. To be added, a med had to have demonstrated in independent studies or in-house trials that there were significant advantages over one already in use.
The pharmacy department also controlled samples, and distributed them to the appropriate departments as needed.
Our members would often ask for particular meds they saw advertised on TV. If there was a compelling advantage/reason for a non-formulary med for that particular patient, it would be prescribed. But the pharmacy tracked non-formulary requests and they were reviewed for appropriateness.
Our providers were prohibited from accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies. If they were to speak at meetings about a particular medication or procedure, they were only allowed to accept a small honorarium in addition to actual expenses as they were still receiving their regular salary while away. This also had to be reported to the medical group and was tracked.