Pharmaceutical Companies are taking YOUR money!!

Originally posted by DoctorRN
Why not lobby for legislation to make advertising of prescription drugs (which is where the biggest portion of the marketing funds are going anyway) illegal instead of berating the nursing staff?

Originally posted by jnette
NOW we're talking !!! THIS has been one of my biggest peeves EVER. It just goes all OVER me to hear these ads telling you to "ask your Doctor about such and such".... I keep thinking since WHEN do patients tell/ask the docs what THEY think would be the proper med, instead of the other way around. And yet due to the inundation of these ads , the "power of suggestion" and suddenly this has become the "norm".

It sickens me. And the big pharm co's are laughing all the way to the bank.

It used to be you'd have a good VARIETY of commercials on TV... seems like the past ten years, however, at least every third ad is some big drug co. pushing what THEY think you MUST HAVE.......

Originally posted by gauge14iv
I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that mass advertising of Rx's needs to be reduced - that is where the whole things needs to start. However, when one rep brings in lunch at least once a week for months on end, then that needs to be looked at too. Occasioanl is another thing. Samples are great too, but they are frequently handed out on a whim and/or utilized for the personal use of staff and their families. (in my experience anyways)

Will one nurse not eating lunch make a difference? No - not to the rep. and not to the drug company. But one thing it has done in my unit is raise awareness of the issue where there previously was none. I don't make a stink about it, I just don't eat it. And I don't take the freebies etc. Sometimes someone will ask why and I will tell them - We don't really see the drug reps in our place as often as we see the formula reps. Babies have to eat and formula is expensive. Yes, everyone should breastfeed but that isn't the reality and we all know it.

It is well known that nearly every medical personnel who works with new mothers can get all the formula they need shipped right to their homes by the manufacturers for as long as they need it at no cost for their own babies. A Perk? Maybe - but hardly a gift costing less than 25.00 which is what my facility says is the maximum we can accept. Who pays for that? We all do - in taxes that pay for higher formula prices to WIC and other governemnt agencies, and in higher formula prices when we buy it ourselves.

It's the utter excess that is an issue with me. Some marketing expenses are reasonable and acceptable, some are out of line, innappropriate and unethical. THOSE are the ones I have the beef with!