Drs. Banned from Accepting Gifts from Pharmaceutical Companies

[Guest guest]

Hey Michele,

 

Good it was to meet you at the AT Shindig in Albuquerque. :-)

 

I scratched the OT from the subject line because I think this is not an

outside topic .. its in line with alternative/complementary treatment.

 

> This article is a good read. They say that public morale is pretty

> low concerning their thoughts on medicine, so hospitals are beginning

> to ban pharmaceutical companies from giving gifts, kickbacks and other

> goodies to doctors because it unduely influences them in their medical

> decision towards patients.

>

> You can read it all here.

>

> http://news./s/ap/20060912/ap_on_he_me/stanford_gifts_ban

 

Good it is fer'shur .. but a shame it is that more hospitals don't jump

on the band wagon .. and more or a shame that the AMA doesn't come out

and officially condemn the acceptance of gifts .. and attempt to head

off not just the impression .. but the reality of conflict of interests.

 

The efforts by some hospitals to curtail such conflicts might actually

be admirable .. but they are ineffective .. and perhaps designed to make

themselves look good.

 

A year or so ago I read an article where some doctors working in

hospitals that had such prohibitions were getting around the intent by

not accepting gifts in their capacity as hospital medical staff .. but

were accepting them in their private practice (on the side) and in some

cases, in private medical research companies they had set up for the

purpose of reducing their taxes.

 

As for getting federal or state lawmakers to push this .. that's hoping

for too much. They are the primary targets of Big Pharma lobbyists. As

far as I know, even the Big Brother decision makers in the European

Parliament have not effectively addressed this. Its not just private

medicine that is affected by the marketing efforts of Big Pharma.

 

The cost of medicine in the USA is out of sight .. the reasons for this

are collaboration between Big Pharma and the FDA (for whom they conduct

research) and the AMA (which represents Big Pharma's unofficial sales

representatives).

 

The cost of medical treatment is also out of sight .. partially due to

ridiculously high insurance rates driven by unrealistic awards by juries

to those who are victims of malpractice. This probably shows that the

public (members of juries) are angry with the medical system.

 

The next article I send (on Big Pharma) contain a tad of

embellishment .. but its relative and its worth a read.

 

The article following that (on Veterans Administration Hospitals) shows

what could be done to improve the health system .. and lower the costs

if the system wanted to do it. VA has done it!

 

One of the many reasons I have decided to return to the USA next year is

because I will be eligible for service connected treatment at the many

VA hospitals .. and though I will be eligible for Medicare in July 2007,

and as a retired military man .. eligible for TriCare For Life, I will

choose to use the VA system. Got my Service Connected ID Card from the

VA Hospital in Charleston during this last trip to the USA.

 

> Michele Madison Robles

> Danaomi Scents

 

Y'all have a good one .. and keep smiling. :-)

 

Butch http://www.AV-AT.com