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…