David Chelnick
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Transcript of David Chelnick
David Chelnick
The Iron Grip of Pharmaceutical Companies
Ask your doctor about…
How do drug companies influence doctors & patients, and what can be
done?
Although legislation exists to disclose financial relationships, additional regulation is required to mitigate the adverse affects of over-prescribing drugs.
Overview 21 3 4
1.Drug companies’ power over doctors
2.Drug companies' power over patients
3.Consequences of over-prescribing
4.How to resolve the issues at hand
Vicious Cycle
Influence on the Physician
21 3 4
Pharmaceutical Companies' Influence
25% of doctors are paid by drug
companies for lectures and endorsements
Pharmaceutical Companies' Influence
66% of doctors receive free
meals from drug company representatives
Disclosure…
Sunshine Laws
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
“Obamacare”
Sunshine Laws
•Obama Administration: –About 1,100 drug and device
makers must report payments to doctors
–$10,000 fine
Disclosure so far…?
$761.3 million As of April 2012
$31,647,101•Nexium•Crestor
•Symbicort
$85,263,683 •Advair•Paxil•Zofran
$176,247,405•Celebrex•Lipitor•Lyrica•Viagra
Influence on the Patient
21 3 4
Power over the patient
33%
of patients who have seen ads have spoken to their
doctor about an advertised drug.
Of those consumers,
28% asked for prescriptions
Power over the patient
Power over the patient
80% of such requests were granted
Consequences of this relationship
21 3 4
Up to 60% of all prescriptions in the U.S. are
written for drugs being used in a fashion other than their approved
purpose
Journal of the American Medical Association:
Antibiotics…
20%
are prescribed for sinus infections (viral or
bacterial)
Be careful!
More antibiotics= more antibiotic resistant bacteria
Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization:
“This will be a post-antibiotic era…things as common as strep throat or a
child’s scratched knee could once again kill”
Can we solve our problems?
21 3 4
A simple solution
More regulation of money given to doctors by drug companies
Continue to disclose any financial relationships
(At least keep this part of the healthcare bill!)
A simple solution
If we must…Regulate prescribing doctors
A simple solution
Talk to your doctor…