Consumer directed advertising for pharms

[joyrochelle]

ARGH! Isnt anyone else completely aggravated with the consumer directed advertising from the pharmaceutical companies?? I just saw a commercial for "Heavy Monthly Bleeding" with the advice to go to their website lighterperiod.com for more info, and of course, recommendations to talk to your provider about your monthly bleeding.

Figuring that this was another advert for some new medication, I went to the site to get info, since I hate it when patients come in asking me about this or that med they saw on TV and I am unprepared to address their questions about that particular product. ( I also tend to check out the newest over the counter meds.... new packaging/formulations change often!)

On the site- they went on to discuss the medical phenom/"diagnosis" of "heavy monthly bleeding" (not dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia or DUB/ dysfunctional uterine bleeding) and supplied a handy quiz to determine whether you are bleeding too much with your menses.... and again recommended that you talk to your provider about it. The site is hosted by Ferring Pharm co., and so of course I'm wondering what the heck this new medication they have created now.... I went to tab for healthcare Professionals- and there was no medication info given. what is this?!?!? So i googled Ferring contraceptive to see what they might have planned, and sure enough: Ferring acquires LYSTEDAâ„¢ from Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

They have acquired a patent for a non-hormonal agent tranexamic acid, that is to be used specifically for this HMB.

Sorry to vent but i am so d@mn sick and tired of the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies trying control teh way medicine is practiced!!!!

NP's need to step up to them!

[elkpark]

(I completely agree but, if the physicians, who have a lot more social "clout" than nurses do, haven't been able to do anything about this, I doubt nurses are going to have much success.)

[joyrochelle]

Given that fact that up until recently NP's couldnt sign for samples in office from pharm companies, and many dr's tend to really seem to work well with the pharm companies: speaking for honorariums, trips, and all the perks that many received and had to be capped, I wondefr if many of the Mds are that concerned. I practice differently than MD's, Im a nurse.... and there are many differences I am proud of. I'd like to thnk that we can possibly do SOMETHING as NP's.

Stop Drug Ads

[elkpark]

Free food and travel is one thing -- I've never met a single physician who thought that advertising Rx drugs to the general public was a good idea, or something that should be allowed. But maybe you're right, maybe they just haven't tried hard enough to combat it.

Keep in mind, though, that Big Pharma is one of the wealthiest, most politically powerful lobbies in the the US. I doubt nurses will get anywhere trying to go up against them.

[joyrochelle]

Sorry to be persistent, but I am not willing to accept that theory. I think they are/their methods are despicable and I'd like to hear from other who feel the same. Thank you!

[joyrochelle]

Wow-- really?? No one else is as motivated by this as I am to at least discuss it??

[VivaRN]

I've posted on here before about pharmaceutical company influences on prescribing behavior and such.

The literature is unequivocal when it comes to accepting things from drug reps - including samples, and the resulting impact on prescribing. Providers think they aren't influenced, but they are.

Not so sure about direct-to-consumer advertising. I haven't had as much of an issue with that due to the population I work with. They don't have the means and we don't have the resources to be picky. Probably more of an issue for those in private practice.

From a conflict of interest perspective with providers and pharmaceutical companies, one thing I have seen as being very effective is changes in policy. Academic medical centers in the past few years have come out with very stringent guidelines on what faculty/staff are able to engage in.

For example, employees are not allowed to be on speaker's bureaus, or if you accept even FOOD from an industry rep you have to reimburse them for it out of pocket. This is very different from even a few years ago. Mostly because they got burned when conflict of interest issues ended up in the press or were seen as influencing research.

I've heard of physician groups working to make direct-to-consumer advertising more accurate. Or some nursing groups trying to change the language to "talk to your provider" instead of "talk to your doctor". It's almost a harm reduction approach vs. trying to do away with it all together.