|
`Inappropriate’
gifts waning
Many
physicians continue to line their pockets with gifts from
drug-company sales representatives, including free trips to
vacation resorts, cash fees for questionable consulting work
and lavish dinners at five-star restaurants. But some signs
now point to a shift in how doctors deal with drug representatives,
and how those famously aggressive, free-spending sales people
now are dealing with doctors.
Just months after the American Medical Association launched
a national educational campaign to highlight its longstanding
ethics policy, Merck & Co. one of the biggest drug manufacturers
in the world apparently has redoubled an effort to eliminate
a once-widespread practice of providing physicians with ‘inappropriate’
gifts such as weekend trips. A spokesman for the drug manufacturer,
which recently announced plans to spin off its pharmacy benefits-management
subsidiary, said existing policy is closely aligned with AMA
guidelines that generally allow only ‘modest’ meals
or fees for consulting work, although he downplayed a recent
report in the New York Times that Merck sales people have
been ordered to stop providing lavish gifts to physicians.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as a policy change,”
said Greg Reaves, the Merck spokesman. “Our goal is to
have our programs and practices in full compliance. We’ve
continued to educate our people. It’s not unusual for
a manager to have a conversation about appropriate practices.”
Other observers said they believed Merck’s new outlook
may be due to the recent emphasis by most big drug firms on
direct-to-consumer advertising, which reduces the physician’s
influence in deciding on prescription drugs for patients.
Drug companies spent about $1.8 billion on direct-to-consumer
advertising in 1999 a 40 per cent hike over the previous year,
according to a 2000 research brief published by the National
Institute of Healthcare Management. Some analysts believe
that the number could skyrocket to $7 billion by 2005.
“Drug companies are becoming more careful. They’re
cutting back on some of the more gratuitous types of gifts,”
said George Hradecky, editor of Pharmaceutical Representative,
a monthly newsmagazine whose readers include about 74,000
drug-company salespeople, trainers and managers. “And
I think doctors are more and more aware of it because of the
AMA’s educational campaign.” He said the significance
of the emerging issue was underscored in mid-January, when
the AMA met with representatives of the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America, the industry’s major trade
association. Though it was characterized as one of a series
of periodic meetings between the two organizations, neither
group was eager to discuss the details or the agenda.
“It was a routine meeting, just to discuss issues relevant
to both sides,” said one AMA spokeswoman. Doctors deal
with pharmaceutical companies every single day. It is logical
they have issues they want to address.” PhRMA spokesman
Jeff Trewhitt said, “At this point, we’ve made a
decision not to discuss publicly the issues that were discussed
in the AMA meeting. We’re not really saying anything.”
Observers suggested one key topic was the AMA’s ‘gifts
to physicians’ campaign, the million-dollar initiative
aimed at educating both doctors and drug-industry sales representatives
about ethical guidelines in force since 1990. Says an observer,
“For every one doctor who might want to take a gift,
you’re going to have five others who are really turned
off by it. A lot of doctors see these gifts as insulting -
it’s almost like a bribe.”
(Source: www.modernhealthcare.com)
|
