Are Drug Companies' Gifts Affecting Doctors' Decisions?

Did you know that doctors often receive gifts such as meals, trips, entertainment, conferences and other perks from drug companies?  They certainly do.  And, it is believed that this influences their decisions on which prescriptions to write for their patients.

Many people also feel that this is directly to blame for the rising cost of the drug prices.  The ever-growing marketing budgets cause the price of the drugs to be increased.

Pharmaceutical companies spend between $8,000 and $13,000 per doctor promoting their drugs.  It is a huge business with more than $11 billion spent each year in the United States.  And, many people believe that it is an unjust influence on the doctor.  They may write a prescription for one drug that doesn't work as well as another just so that the pharmaceutical company will be impressed with their numbers.  This may not be the case in every instance, but if you knew someone would reward you, you would be more likely to push their product.

While doctors can receive valuable information on new drugs by talking with the reps, it is a biased opinion coming from someone who works for a particular pharmaceutical company and not an independent research company.  They should seek to find opinions from reputable sources or formulate their own opinions about the products.

http://www.phrma.org/ - Pharmaceutical company research. "Disease is our enemy. Working to save lives is our job."		Abuse of Prescription Drugs Widespread:  Study Shows Growing Number of Teenagers Are Using Medications Illegally Washington Post 7/7/05
Abuse of Prescription Drugs Widespread:  Study Shows Growing Number of Teenagers Are Using Medications Illegally Washington Post 7/7/05		Seven Essentials A Complete Whole Food with vitamins, minerals, co-enzymes, fiber and whey.