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Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Cost

Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

One thing about this thread is for sure - Merck is about to reap the benefits of its title (i.e., cutting the cost of reps!).

They backed Obama Care for some reason. Its a "deal with the devil" as it greatly reduces the prices that they can sell drugs at but expands the market. And you are right, it will allow them to do this with many fewer reps. There is a glide path for the US market to look like Europe and this allows them to delay that as long as possible and bilk as much money from the system as they can in the meantime. When you say "we" when speaking of you and Merck you should think again.
 








Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

"Why does the FDA of Europe approve or disapprove?" because the approval process doesn't include the same criteria as approved for purchase / use in every European nation i.e. the Europeans "license" many more drugs that they ever approve the purchase or use of.

"So who are we?" - we are the morons that spend twice as much as the Europeans (including drugs) to get the same results. And one of the reasons is that they don't have the same system of "Pharma Reps" who lie to Docs to get them to prescribe over priced branded drugs when much cheaper generics will do.

PS - the "FDA of Europe" is called the "European Medicines Agency". Maybe its you that should take "all about medecine 101"?

Gee wiz...don't all pharma companies out of the US have reps throughout Europe and beyond? I darn thought we had counterparts way yonder....And another thing... isn't "FDA of Europe" another way of saying "European Medicines Agency." Semantics...huh???
Signed,
Gomer from the backwoods...
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Gee wiz...don't all pharma companies out of the US have reps throughout Europe and beyond? I darn thought we had counterparts way yonder....And another thing... isn't "FDA of Europe" another way of saying "European Medicines Agency." Semantics...huh???
Signed,
Gomer from the backwoods...

If YOU lie in the performance of your job YOU lie in every facet of your life - pathetic jerk
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Don't you find it strange that a thread that started out with post regarding a scientific quantitative study published in a peer reviewed journal that is sponsored by the nation's second largest organization representing professional medical board certified specialists that basically proves that our profession not only adds very little value to patient's health but influences docs to spend resources on expensive drugs that could be spent else where so that we are also detrimental to the US Healthcare System, quickly degenerates to subject matter that means nothing to that subject?

Kind of ironic that they have their own black sheep living off us and yet would call us greedy?

Kind of funny that our products (patented or generic) make them look good and they really think their good looks and pleasant bedside manner are enough to fix all their patients' problems?
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Gee wiz...don't all pharma companies out of the US have reps throughout Europe and beyond? I darn thought we had counterparts way yonder....And another thing... isn't "FDA of Europe" another way of saying "European Medicines Agency." Semantics...huh???
Signed,
Gomer from the backwoods...

sure, but those reps in Europe don't have the same negative effects that ours do - (Rotten) Apples to oranges comparison coming from a (Rotten Apple).
 












Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

The study proves that a Sales Reps job is to lie to Docs so that they will prescribe branded meds when generics would do.

A doctor's job is to lie to a newly diagnosed hypertensive patient that diuretics taken 3-4 times a day and he has to pee often is just as good as something more expensive because of all the incentive plans from the PPO and managed care.

A good doc would play the game and then consider if a branded product is going to help, go ahead, fill out the form for a PA to use it.

A highly incentivized doc will switch the patient to another "preferred" generic and onto another and onto another.
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

A doctor's job is to lie to a newly diagnosed hypertensive patient that diuretics taken 3-4 times a day and he has to pee often is just as good as something more expensive because of all the incentive plans from the PPO and managed care.

A good doc would play the game and then consider if a branded product is going to help, go ahead, fill out the form for a PA to use it.

A highly incentivized doc will switch the patient to another "preferred" generic and onto another and onto another.

So, from a "Good Reps" point of view a "Good Doc" will just coincidently do what is in the "Good Reps" interests so that the "Good Rep" can be highly incentivized even though there in ABSOLUTELY NO scientific evidence that it will make a difference.

A very convient definition of "Good" that you have there.

So why is it that anyone with any common sense would think that your definition of good isn't linked with filling your rice bowl?

Parasite
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

A doctor's job is to lie to a newly diagnosed hypertensive patient that diuretics taken 3-4 times a day and he has to pee often is just as good as something more expensive because of all the incentive plans from the PPO and managed care.

A good doc would play the game and then consider if a branded product is going to help, go ahead, fill out the form for a PA to use it.

A highly incentivized doc will switch the patient to another "preferred" generic and onto another and onto another.

"Drug products sold in the United States are approved by the FDA whether they are brand name or generic. "Most people believe that if something costs more, it has to be better quality. In the case of generic drugs, this is not true," says Gary Buehler, Director of FDA's Office of Generic Drugs. "The standards for quality are the same for brand name and generic products.

"Generic competition helps keep the cost of drugs down," Buehler says. "It also encourages the research based drug companies to keep finding newer and better
medicines that have patent protection."

When retired federal auditor Stuart Addison went to the pharmacy, he had the pharmacist fill his prescriptions with generic drugs. "My motivation is to keep the prices down," Addison said, noting that his insurance plan helped pay for his prescriptions. "My pocketbook isn't directly affected; but, in the long run, I'm helping to keep insurance premiums down." Generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 to $10 billion a year at retail pharmacies (according to the Congressional Budget Office). Even more billions are saved when hospitals use generics.

"FDA-approved generic drugs are bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to their brand-name counterparts," says Buehler. "People can use them with total confidence."

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPr.../ucm134444.htm
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Just like an acrimonious divorce, each party blames one another for their faults. The only thing that matters is that it's over. The sooner each side sees that the sooner they can move on and be happy (in this case successful) again.
 








Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

So, from a "Good Reps" point of view a "Good Doc" will just coincidently do what is in the "Good Reps" interests so that the "Good Rep" can be highly incentivized even though there in ABSOLUTELY NO scientific evidence that it will make a difference.

A very convient definition of "Good" that you have there.

So why is it that anyone with any common sense would think that your definition of good isn't linked with filling your rice bowl?

Parasite

I call it BS.

Doctors are just as selfish and looking out for themselves. Don't think corruption is found only in the pharma reps but not in the medical profession too.

Still, I guess all those good docs have been able to sweep their arms in the air, say a prayer and their patients are healed without any medications.
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

If YOU lie in the performance of your job YOU lie in every facet of your life - pathetic jerk

Every facet of the drug rep job is a complete lie. Drug reps are liars. If they aren't, they'll be quickly unemployed. Now that's pathetic. And true.
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Every facet of the drug rep job is a complete lie. Drug reps are liars. If they aren't, they'll be quickly unemployed. Now that's pathetic. And true.

Good post...it is true what you say...If you don't become a liar on a daily basis, there is not surviving the job and Merck...

Makes many people (who aren't narcissistic and sociopathic) sick from the constant strain of lying to keep a paycheck coming, and keep the charade in tact...

Glad I finally got out...Money is tight, but it beats life at Toxic Merck...

oh...by the way..FU MERCK!
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

I call it BS.

Doctors are just as selfish and looking out for themselves. Don't think corruption is found only in the pharma reps but not in the medical profession too.

Still, I guess all those good docs have been able to sweep their arms in the air, say a prayer and their patients are healed without any medications.

They don't have to sweep their arms in the air but they can give them generics instead of costly brands and put you sorry ass on the street.
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

They don't have to sweep their arms in the air but they can give them generics instead of costly brands and put you sorry ass on the street.

You never answer the question. Those cheap generics are copies of ?? If Merck did not come out with Vasotec, will there be a $4 a month of generic Vasotec available?
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

You never answer the question. Those cheap generics are copies of ?? If Merck did not come out with Vasotec, will there be a $4 a month of generic Vasotec available?

Big effin' deal. Merck (and every other pharma) discovered the initial drugs. When their patents run out, generics are made for much cheaper since the R&D costs are borne by the discovery company. What the hell is your point? Patent life exists for a reason, when it's done, so are the outrageous prices.
 




Re: Breakup of Physician, Drug Company Relationship Could Improve Health Care, Cut Co

Speakers need to be conforming to their contract..Speak for an hour or more then questions and real discussion on topic till time to go home. Follow the contract. Nothing less or no payment and no feed bag!

For some of them its all ego and money. If they're really so great other doctors want to hear them and they really educate. Its only a quality program that's worth the time and money. Some of them are worth about ten cents, maybe even less.