Pharmaceutical Industry Sales Reps Increasingly Buying Doctors' Lunches
Main Category: Primary Care / General PracticeArticle Date: 03 Aug 2006 - 16:00 PDT
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The Baltimore Sun on Saturday examined how buying lunch for physicians "became an increasingly important way for drug companies to get the attention of doctors" after 2002, when the pharmaceutical industry adopted voluntary guidelines to restrict gifting practices. According to the Sun, the American Medical Association "considers lunches acceptable because they represent a rare opportunity to present information about their products to busy doctors." Amy Kristjanson -- who used to work as a pharmaceutical representative but now owns Lunch and Earn, a marketing firm in Florida -- said there is no limit to the amount of lunches a pharmaceutical rep can buy. Some policymakers argue that the practice could have undue influence over doctors' prescribing decisions. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said, "It's obvious that drug companies provide these free lunches so their sales reps can get the doctor's ear and influence the prescribing practices." He added, "Physicians should get their information from peer-reviewed evidence and objective resources." Jos Zebley, a family physician at Greenspring Medical Associates, said, "The same way you don't buy a congressman with a dinner, you don't change a doctor's perspective with a lunch" (Salganik et al., Baltimore Sun, 7/29).
"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Visitor Opinions In Chronological Order (9)
Doctors Aren't Swayed By Lunches
posted by Sanford Siegel M.D. on 1 Oct 2006 at 4:25 pmHere's a letter to the editor that I submitted to The Baltimore Sun and to Congress in reponse to the article The Sun published about pharmaceutical reps trying to influence doctors with lunches:
Dear Rep. Waxman,
On Saturday July 29, 2006, there was an article on the front page of The Baltimore Sun entitled “Medical Salesmen Prescribe Lunches.” This article describes how the pharmaceutical representatives use free lunches to gain access to Doctors. In this article, you are quoted to say, “It’s obvious that drug companies provide these free lunches so their sales reps can get the Doctor’s ear and influence the prescribing practice. That’s not the way it should be done. Physicians should get their information from peer review and objective sources.” I am a physician, and we do get our information from peer reviewed journals and continuous medical education meetings. We are required to have 25 credits a year of continuing medical education. The reps simply supply valuable prescribing information about the use of the drugs and their benefits.
Instead of insinuating impropriety on the part of Doctors and Pharmaceutical reps, maybe you should look into how your Congress functions. You are a member of the most abusive Congress in history. You are a member of Congress that will only work 76 days this entire year. That is the lowest number of days in history. They call this Congress, affectionately, the “Tuesday to Thursday Club,” as the Representatives come to work on Tuesday and leave Thursday afternoon. The lowest salary paid to a Congressman is $165,200/year. If you think I am misinformed, please refer to the ABC news report done on Saturday July 29th. They did the piece on, “Are we getting our monies worth?” Obviously, we are not.
The average salary for a Pediatrician is less than $100,000/year. They work 7-days-a- week, 48 to 50 weeks a year. They have not had a pay raise in 15 years. When was your last pay raise? We get “free” lunches from these Pharma Reps so we can learn about new drugs, their benefit to our patients, and where they will be harmful. Most of us will take 10-15 minutes a day for lunch, and most days we do not get lunch. We cannot see them during office time. Our days start at 7-8 in the morning and don’t end like other people’s work days. When we finish office hours, we go to the Hospital to see patients, and it does not end there, either. We then can go home and make phone calls to patients for an hour. We do this every day, 5-6 days a week. That is a far cry from your 76 days a year.
Your quote makes reference to the influence they have on us to use their drugs. Are you so naive to believe that a turkey wrap or a piece of dried out chicken parmesan will make us use a drug which we do not feel will be beneficial to our patients? Why is it legal for the airlines to give frequent flier miles for inducement to people to use that airline or for the restaurants who provide these Doctor lunches to have “frequent buyer” programs where “each dollar spent earns points that can be exchanged for movie tickets, gift certificates to Home Depot or Nordstrom or an ‘executive spa treatment,’” for the Reps who buy them? Should I believe that the junkets to Scotland for your colleagues to play golf, the lavish dinners they throw for members of Congress, the free airplane tickets or Super Bowl tickets, etc., do not influence you and your votes? Are you getting your information from, as you said, those “objective sources, the highly paid lobbyist?”
How can you be so self-righteous? I am so insulted by your comments. Like most Congressmen, Doctors are honest, hard-working people and dedicated to the people they serve. We do not abuse or take advantage of the system. Tell me what you would do without us? There may be a few bad apples, but the medical care in the United States is second to none. Is it made worse by these lunches? We have been hammered with 40% to 50% cuts in our reimbursement over the last 15 years. The Doctors share of the health care pie has shrunk from 30% to 8%. Overhead continues to soar. Healthcare insurance rates to my employees rose 24% this July. Two weeks later, I got a letter telling me this same company was reducing our reimbursement by 21%. Dr. McGuire, the CEO of United Healthcare, was paid 1.6 BILLION (yes Billion) dollars last year. You must know that because CALPERS was so incensed they have filed a grievance with United Healthcare. Have you looked at them? Don’t you think that is just a tad more egregious than chicken parmesan?
This is article has stirred a fire in me. I am angry that people of such influence, such as you, could attack us for something like lunches. There are so many important issues to address. Fix health care for the poor; bring peace to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East. Do something meaningful about these problems, and the historically low approval rating (26%) for this Congress may improve.
If you’d like to contact me to discuss this matter further, I can be reached at ssiegel585@gmail.com or 410-581-1600.
Very Sincerely,
Sanford Siegel, President, Chesapeake Urology Associates
Doctor Lunch Solution
posted by Josh Atkins on 5 Oct 2006 at 12:17 pmMaybe the drug reps could give the doctor's lunches to the homeless, and just drop off a pamphlet? I think it's great the way we've incentivized the medical field so that we can be sure to recruit all the most hardcore moneygrubbers instead of people who would do it for the joy of helping people. Would you have become a doctor if you could make more money as an auto mechanic?
It makes me feel sad that the average pediatrician makes less than $100,000 a year. My wife and I together make less than $50,000, so hold on while I wipe my tears on these generic brand paper towels.
Have A Tissue!
posted by Susan Smith on 14 Oct 2006 at 2:18 pmThe previous poster is an idiot and his opinion is indicative of the entitlement mentality that afflicts our country.
In the past, physicians were revered for the long hours and sacrifices that they made so that they could answer their inner calling and help people.
Now, insurance companies and non-managed care staff thwart the physician at each turn. They shift the liability to the physician, prevent the physician from telling the patient the real reason why they are not getting the best treatment possible and lower their reimbursement on an annual basis.
Try telling your plumber or auto mechanic that you will only pay 40% of their bill for their service and see what happens.
Only doctors are forced to "write off" or "eat" the balance.
Yes, that pediatrician may make $100,000 per year, but when you factor in the hours, the overhead, the malpractice scrutiny, inflation, that probably breaks down to minimum wage.
You try excelling in school because you worked hard, going on to college, medical school and residency and being paid a minimum wage for your effort. By the way, here is a kleenex for you.
No Free Ride!
posted by Terry Wolfsheimer on 22 Feb 2007 at 6:14 pmI agree with the previous poster above. Sure the reps could give their lunches to the homeless but would that deal with the real issue. Ignorance hides around every corner like the guy who believes that knowledge comes cheaply. More physicians should be as bold as Dr Siegel when it comes to challenging our elected government. Obviously, he has a better grasp on the real issues at hand and knows the difference between generic and brand.
Reasons To Become A Doctor?
posted by Nichole Smith on 13 Mar 2007 at 1:58 pm100,00 dollars may sound like a lot until you have to write checks for thousands of dollars to pay back student loans each month. Literally these men and women have gone into debt to be trained to do their job. They CANNOT have a job during med school. There is no time. Honestly, why would anyone want to become a doctor these days? Is it the overwhelming paperwork? The complaintive patients who take no responsibility for their own health care but want to be fixed?
Perhaps it is the fun of dealing with insurance companies who pay their CEO's a ridiculous amount while raising patient premiums and lowering payments to doctors? Maybe it is the long hours away from their own family? Oh, wait...it must be the free lunch.
OR it could be that most doctors are genuinely caring people who wanted to make a difference in the world.
Agreed..
posted by Jamie Fox on 23 Mar 2007 at 12:11 pmI agree with Josh Atkins.Give that food to the homeless!! All that money your making you can buy your own food!!!
Physican Lunches
posted by Anon on 21 Apr 2007 at 1:20 pmJamie- that money goes to overhead, paying office staff, unpaid medical costs. Give me a break. It costs approximately a quarter of a million dollars to to become a physician. You're going to complain about a physician getting free lunch. I honestly, want my pediatrician, who has the responsibility of my child's health in his hands well fed! He is most likely sacrificing time spent with his/her own family working insane hours to take care of my child and has chosen to spend a great deal of time and money in an effort to be able to do this. Give 'em dinner!
Doctors Deserve Free Lunches
posted by Camilles sidwalk Cafe-Frisco TX on 14 Feb 2008 at 2:22 pmI totally agree with you guys. Someone who has gone through years of college(s) and residency to become a doctor. Insane hours and try to accommodate everyone is no easy task.
Good luck!!!
Drug reps...sex sells
posted by Anon2 on 16 Nov 2010 at 7:06 amWhether or not a doctor gets a meal is insignificant. As a doctor's wife, I feel that my husband can take a sandwich to work like the rest of the population. He stays current from a number of various sources. Here's my concern: take one look at the drug reps. Most are young, fit, cheery, and bringing food...all meant to entice the doctor(male or female) into what? I know my husband is a professional and trust him fully. However, I can't believe sex sells right in your doctor's office.
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