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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alan on March 12, 2002, at 22:17:19
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/inquirer_magazine/2812309.htm
Worst of all, this excellent article even understates the problem. When you have sales reps conferring with doctors on how much they need to get their prescription rate up to get "comp"-ed to that conference in Hawaii, it's just pathetic. And -- as AstraZeneca's senior director for public policy* notes, "it's very effective."
* "Senior director for public policy"? Is Astra Zeneca a country now, with ministers and an army? Actually, John LeCarre, in "The Constant Gardener," argues that some multi-national pharmaceutical companies are more powerful than many countries and are able to operate outside the law of any single nation, including those of the United States.
Alan
Posted by TSA West on March 13, 2002, at 0:17:52
In reply to DR's UNDER THE INFLUENCE - GREAT ARTICLE!!!, posted by Alan on March 12, 2002, at 22:17:19
Drugs like BuSpar (buspirone) and Aurorix (moclobemide) have a lousy reputation among doctors, despite drug companies' investing years and big money in trying to sell them. Result: BuSpar becomes generic this year and will sell for next to nothing; Aurorix will never make it to the U.S. market.
Posted by Alan on March 13, 2002, at 8:54:07
In reply to Re: DR's UNDER THE INFLUENCE - GREAT ARTICLE!!! » Alan, posted by TSA West on March 13, 2002, at 0:17:52
> Drugs like BuSpar (buspirone) and Aurorix (moclobemide) have a lousy reputation among doctors, despite drug companies' investing years and big money in trying to sell them. Result: BuSpar becomes generic this year and will sell for next to nothing; Aurorix will never make it to the U.S. market.
___________________________________________I guess the sad fact is that all of that time and money "hyping" these drugs could have gone into R & D or into how to properly use these drugs in the first place. Sad but true.
In the case of ssri's, the marketing strategy has been at the expense of patients because these drugs are marketed mostly to non specialists that don't have the training or experience to dx and tease out mixed anx/depress (a catch all) and are prime targets for these Co.'s to take advantage of their inability to dx properly in order to see whether a BZD for instance would be more appropriate in the cases of primary anxiety with secondary depression as a result of the anxiety for example (this was my case). This puts the patient through months and years of ssri trials with minimal or mostly ineffectual results and all of the terrible side effects followed by augmentation with drugs to treat side effects with the patient ultimately being termed "unresponsive" or "atypical" while all along not having given the option of other drugs on an equal footing. It takes away the patient's (and many times the doctor's) freedom of choice.
But of course, BZD's are off brand now. Tell one something?
Alan
Posted by Penny on March 13, 2002, at 10:34:52
In reply to DR's UNDER THE INFLUENCE - GREAT ARTICLE!!!, posted by Alan on March 12, 2002, at 22:17:19
So what can we do, as consumers???
Not that I didn't know what was going on (I used to have a roommate who was a drug rep), but it's very frustrating, and scary. And it makes me less likely to trust my docs.
Penny
Posted by gilbert on March 13, 2002, at 18:38:38
In reply to Re: DR's UNDER THE INFLUENCE-what can we do???, posted by Penny on March 13, 2002, at 10:34:52
Great post,
This is what is really happening folks. You can even follow the prescribing trends on this board look a t the posts and the topics from past posts.
The questions on this board follow the drug pushing on the streets. When I first came on it was ssri's, then it was serzone, then it was wellbutrin and effexor, now were into anti-pyschotics, anti seizure meds and mood stabilizers, the drugs du jour. I'll have a moch cuppacinno with a zyprexa and top it off witth a little neurontin please. WE are all guinea pigs. Welcome to George Orwells pharmaceutical farm. Let's put someone on zyprexa instead of valium or xanax what a friggin joke.Gil
Posted by Alan on March 13, 2002, at 22:20:11
In reply to Re: DR's UNDER THE INFLUENCE-what can we do???, posted by gilbert on March 13, 2002, at 18:38:38
> This is what is really happening folks. You can even follow the prescribing trends on this board look a t the posts and the topics from past posts.
> The questions on this board follow the drug pushing on the streets. When I first came on it was ssri's, then it was serzone, then it was wellbutrin and effexor, now were into anti-pyschotics, anti seizure meds and mood stabilizers, the drugs du jour. I'll have a moch cuppacinno with a zyprexa and top it off witth a little neurontin please. WE are all guinea pigs. Welcome to George Orwells pharmaceutical farm. Let's put someone on zyprexa instead of valium or xanax what a friggin joke.
>
> Gil
***********************************************Bingo Gil. Well said. Just look at the board here - even if it IS a slight indication.
While there is relevance in trying new therapies to a certain extent (especially if the patient AND the doctor are informed of ALL of the real risks), what is the driving force? $$$ And not just an honest buck as the article points out. Ethics are left at the doorstep. Conflict of interest issues are in the fore. Docs just don't have time - or the ability in many a non-specialist case - to think it out carefully - let alone the patients - and they want to leave the critical thinking "skills" to the Pharmecutical Co.'s. Hey, their asses are covered if Paxil is shown to cause serious problems down the road - their cover for liability is with the drug companies that have made these claims. Any wonder there's a huge lawsuit against the makers of Paxil about them covering up or at least manipulating test results to win FDA approval for GAD?
Otherwise there wouldn't be all of the trashing of BZD's exclusively in today's market.
Paxil: "not habit forming"
Zyprexa: "not addicting"
Zoloft: "no addicting side effects"BALONEY. Sure, by strict definition these meds aren't in the "controlled substance" catagory but who the hell cares when one AD after another "poops out" or causes more anxiety than before treatment, ot the patient is at higher risk than benefit for TD? Or withdraws from an ssri and experiences "electrical brain zaps" that docs are just now admitting aren't the unusual case of the patient resonding badly to a drug (one with no "withdrawl" phenomenon).
BZD's (a pure anxiolytic) for anxiety disorders? Are you kidding? Too obvious.
Unbelieveable. The tail's wagging the dog(s).
Alan.
This is the end of the thread.
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