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10-10-2007, 10:12 AM
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942 posts, read 1,246,336 times
Reputation: 224
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I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the number of these Pharmeceutical Salesman sitting in the doctors office waiting to see the doctors. I recently changed doctors, have been there 3 times at 3 diffierent times of the day, and there is a line of salesman waiting to see the doctors at this practice. I also noticed with each appt I am handed samples of medicines to try before I get a precscription for it. I think that is nice of the doctor to offer me that before I make the purchase, but my instincts tell me something is off with seeing all these salesman and then me being handed these samples. Actually I am finding I am uncomfortable seeing all these salesman at the doctors office everytime to the point there is a line of them waiting. I didnt see this at least to this extent at previous doctors offices. I know I am getting close to asking the doctor upfront when I go for my next appt about why so many are there. I guess I feel it is unappropriate to have so many there at a time and then the patient leaving their appt with a handfull of samples.
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10-10-2007, 10:43 AM
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Location: Lots of sun and palm trees with occasional hurricane :)
8,293 posts, read 15,593,497 times
Reputation: 7018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OREGONRAIN
I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the number of these Pharmeceutical Salesman sitting in the doctors office waiting to see the doctors. I recently changed doctors, have been there 3 times at 3 diffierent times of the day, and there is a line of salesman waiting to see the doctors at this practice. I also noticed with each appt I am handed samples of medicines to try before I get a precscription for it. I think that is nice of the doctor to offer me that before I make the purchase, but my instincts tell me something is off with seeing all these salesman and then me being handed these samples. Actually I am finding I am uncomfortable seeing all these salesman at the doctors office everytime to the point there is a line of them waiting. I didnt see this at least to this extent at previous doctors offices. I know I am getting close to asking the doctor upfront when I go for my next appt about why so many are there. I guess I feel it is unappropriate to have so many there at a time and then the patient leaving their appt with a handfull of samples.
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Is this a private office, or in a medical center setting?
Are the samples for meds you do actually need? Do you think they are appropriate for you or do you think the doc is pushing a particular med or pharmaceutical company?
You're not getting billed for them nor your insurance correct?
There is a very strict compliance program in place for pharmaceutical companies and, although I am sure it's done to some degree, I don't think they (or the doctor) want to break the rules. It could shut the company down.
Do you see free lunches or gifts being provided to the staff?
Yeah, you can mention it to the doctor. If the sales reps are interrupting patient schedule and you end up sitting there longer than necessary, sure, it's your prerogative. Also, if it's causing the doc to see fewer patients, then he's missing out on patient generated revenue. |
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10-10-2007, 10:57 AM
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942 posts, read 1,246,336 times
Reputation: 224
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There are 4 or 5 doctors in this practice, it is a separate practice from the medical center they are affliated with across the street. I am not sure how the doctors arrange their meetings with all these people, but I would think they are taking up time that would be set for doctors appts. The office is a busy one. I don't know about the lunches and such, actually seeing all these salesman to this point is brand new to me. It alsmost seems like a social hour, with them all waiting their turns and chatting with one another or on their cell phones. The medicines are actually what I would need to be taking at this time. So I think the doctor is really just offering me the option of seeing if it works for me before I buy a prescription. However if I find I am being pushed for pills for a variety of conditions that the previous doctor was not prescribing pills for, I would definitely say something. Thanks.
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10-10-2007, 11:16 AM
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Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
7,815 posts, read 18,177,725 times
Reputation: 9457
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OREGONRAIN: Your post bringts to light a very a serious problem. I'll paste a short quote from an informative article that addresses this issue in greater detail.
Pharmaceutical companies spend more than $15 billion each year promoting prescription drugs in the United States. One-third of that amount is spent on "detailing" -- an industry term for drug company representatives' one-on-one promotion to doctors. A paper published April 24, 2007 in the Public Library of Science journal Medicine uncovers the tactics which pharmaceutical sales representatives, commonly called "drug reps," are trained to use in promoting drugs to prescribing physicians.....Mike Adams Read the entire article.
In another post ( # 1 ) I worte: I am not completely anti-doctor. I have received excellent first rate treatment from some really fine doctors in emergency situations. I also have several close family members who work in the health care profession, including an MD. I do not look upon MD's as bad people in anyway. However generally speaking, I do see them as being among the most brainwashed citizens of the USA...mainly due to their education which is heavily influenced by the big drug companies. Larry Dossey, Deepak Chopra, & Andrew Weil are among the most notable exceptions to my generalization above. Of course there are also many others. blessings....Franco
Last edited by CosmicWizard; 10-10-2007 at 11:27 AM..
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10-10-2007, 03:02 PM
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Location: Somewhere.
10,442 posts, read 24,074,687 times
Reputation: 8964
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I did have a doctor prescribe a calcium channel blocker for me at the start of my high blood pressure problem. It was more expensive than what a previous doctor had prescribed for me. And the doctor at the time told me that if he prescribed enough people to the calcium channel blocker he got a free computer. And he was computer illiterate. 
Doctors get all kinds of perks from the pharmaceutical companies if they prescribe enough people to certain drugs. Not all doctors do this of course, but from my experience, more do than just a few.
Because it's lucrative for them. |
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10-10-2007, 07:11 PM
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Location: in a house
3,574 posts, read 13,871,555 times
Reputation: 2398
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PinkString
I did have a doctor prescribe a calcium channel blocker for me at the start of my high blood pressure problem. It was more expensive than what a previous doctor had prescribed for me. And the doctor at the time told me that if he prescribed enough people to the calcium channel blocker he got a free computer. And he was computer illiterate.
Doctors get all kinds of perks from the pharmaceutical companies if they prescribe enough people to certain drugs. Not all doctors do this of course, but from my experience, more do than just a few.
Because it's lucrative for them. |
They haven't been able to do stuff like that for several years. |
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10-11-2007, 02:51 AM
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Location: Somewhere.
10,442 posts, read 24,074,687 times
Reputation: 8964
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mm_mary73
They haven't been able to do stuff like that for several years.
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They haven't done what for several years? Get perks from the pharmaceutical industry? They do this all the time. |
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10-11-2007, 08:31 AM
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Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
7,815 posts, read 18,177,725 times
Reputation: 9457
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Outer space to planet Earth, come in please!
mm_mary73 wrote: They haven't been able to do stuff like that for several years.
Might I ask, what planet are you living on? 
blessings....Franco |
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10-11-2007, 08:40 AM
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Location: Lots of sun and palm trees with occasional hurricane :)
8,293 posts, read 15,593,497 times
Reputation: 7018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck
mm_mary73 wrote: They haven't been able to do stuff like that for several years.
Might I ask, what planet are you living on?
blessings....Franco |
According to the compliance plan in place for a few years now, kickbacks are not allowed - legally. That to some extent it goes on behind closed doors is a given. However, it CANNOT be done blatantly anymore, if everybody wants to stay in business and licensed.
As a matter of fact.... there is a $$$ limit on how many pens, sticky pads, chocolates, etc. is permissible.
Any "events" have to be linked to "educational" and you cannot offer the trips, the equipment, the fancy dinners, etc. anymore in exchange for business and company revenue.
Stretching the rules does happen but you better not stretch them till it snaps. If you know this stuff is going on somewhere, you can become a whistleblower and make millions (% of bounty). |
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10-11-2007, 09:11 AM
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Location: in a house
3,574 posts, read 13,871,555 times
Reputation: 2398
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck
mm_mary73 wrote: They haven't been able to do stuff like that for several years.
Might I ask, what planet are you living on?
blessings....Franco |
I am a APRN who sees patients and occasionally drug reps. I'll assume that your ignorant response was unintentional.  |
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