Editor—I am nice to drug representatives.
I accept shareholders of large multinational companies would not spend money on doctors if this was not profitable—make them prescribe more of their drugs. We as doctors should be aware of this.
Should I stop accepting gifts?1
Should I stop watching the US tennis open championship, with its huge advertisement for rofecoxib (Vioxx) on the centre court last year?
Compare drug representatives with political lobbyists—hired hands who wine and dine politicians, take them to meetings at sporting events, fly them to exotic locations on fact finding tours, feed them at corporate lunches and political fundraising dinners. Doctors are not alone on the dancefloor at the porcupine ball.2
Let's put those lobbyists under the same scrutiny. Have you ever met an evidence based politician?
Over two weeks recently I used drug sponsorship to train 15 nurses as asthma educators (they cannot prescribe) and flew to Sydney to give a generic talk on paediatric asthma.
Just occasionally this job should be fun. If taxpayers keep the medical profession sane by funding a few dinners through taxing the cost of drugs, this is money well spent.
I will still be nice to drug representatives after reading the BMJ of 31 May, and hopefully one will bring me a latte for morning tea.
How do you dance with porcupines?2 Carefully. Hold them close and look them square in the eye.
Competing interests: SR has attended numerous meals and conferences and had travel and hotel accommodation provided by drug companies; he also wrote his rapid response using a mouse pad sponsored by a drug company.
References
- 1.Abbasi K, Smith R. No more free lunches. BMJ 2003;326: 1155-6. (31 May.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Wager E. How to dance with porcupines: rules and guidelines on doctors' relations with drug companies. BMJ 2003;326: 1196-8. (31 May.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]