A Editorial by Jessica Smith News Editor of the Western Herald Excellent Writing, worth checking out the original article in full
While watching one of my new favorite satirical news shows, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO, Oliver delivered a humorous rant with serious undertones on the questionable and unethical relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical representatives.
What I find unethical about these relationships is many doctors are being paid by the same drug companies whose medicine they prescribe, according to a ProPublica investigation conducted in 2013.
In that same “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” segment, Oliver discussed how some pharmaceutical sales reps “use sex appeal and free food to peddle drugs.”
It’s no secret that Big Pharma is a business looking reap profits off of consumers. However, the distance that pharmaceutical companies are willing to go remains shady.
Oliver said $329.2 billion was spent on prescription drugs in 2013. Oliver also mentioned drug companies spend “an estimated $24 billion marketing directly to doctors.” He compared the companies to “high school boyfriends” and quipped, “they’re much more concerned with being inside you than being effective once you’re in there.”
All jokes aside, this is a highly unethical action and a reality the public should be aware of.
As a social work student, I am obligated to abide by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. The American Medical Association (AMA) also has a Code of Medical Ethics, which doctors are supposed to abide by.
In the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics under Opinion 8.06 - Prescribing and Dispensing Drugs and Devices, it states, “(2) Physicians may not accept any kind of payment or compensation from a drug company or device manufacturer for prescribing its products. Furthermore, physicians should not be influenced in the prescribing of drugs, devices, or appliances by a direct or indirect financial interest in a firm or other supplier, regardless of whether the firm is a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or repackager of the products involved.”
By this standard, doctors receiving payments or compensation from a drug company or device manufacturer are in violation of the AMA Code of Medical Ethics.
Some doctors receive perks such as lunches, and dinners. While some make hundreds of thousands of dollars consulting or speaking at medical conferences, sponsoring a large pharma company.
I find this practice to be unethical and not in the best interest of their patients treatment.
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I believe some doctors are overprescribing or inaccurately prescribing medications to their patients due to their relationship with large drug companies.
A lack of insight about what these medications may be doing to the human condition, due to government deregulation of the FDA’s ability to research new drugs without Big Pharma financiering research of their own drug, has led to hastily prescribed patients.
Drug companies are now required to disclose any perks they give to doctors, which are posted to a federal website. If you are interested in finding out if your doctor is receiving perks, I strongly encourage you to visit http://OpenPaymentsData.CMS.Gov.
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