Drug companies pile on perks for doctors article

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Drug companies pile on perks for doctors

By Bazell

Updated: 11:09 a.m. ET April 21, 2005

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7575967/

Dr. Arnold Kassanoff says the best gift he ever got from a drug

company was a trip to Monaco for him and his wife in 1982.

" We were told in advance that there would be, you know, everything was

covered except gambling, " says Kassanoff. " All your meals. No

tipping

allowed. Nothing. And just enjoy yourself. "

What did he think they wanted from him in exchange for the trip?

" Well, I knew that they had come up with a breakthrough

drug, " says

Kassanoff. And it was a drug that the company wanted him to prescribe

to his patients.

Kassanoff says the gifts from drug companies — usually small items

such as bags, pens and meals — start in medical school. " From that

point on you are indoctrinated, " he says.

In recent years, the American Medical Association and U.S. drug

manufacturers have agreed to cut back on the big trips offered to

doctors, although Kassanoff says he can still get a free dinner almost

any night for listening to a sales pitch.

" If you look hard enough you might get a trip to Hawaii, " he says.

The gifts have never been illegal, but Kassanoff wonders about the

long-term effect on his practice.

" When you pick up your prescription pad, you write something out.

… It

has to do with psychology and the whole marketing business, " he

says.

Today there are 88,000 drug salespeople for the 600,000 practicing

doctors in the United States. Six or seven visit Kassanoff's small

practice every week, offering souvenirs and free lunch for the staff.

" Very, very bright, attractive people who've got good people

skills, "

says Kassanoff.

Dr. Jerome Kasserir, former editor of the New England Journal of

Medicine and author of a new book on drug companies, says the sales

people drive up health care costs.

" They're always marketing the newest drugs and the most expensive

drugs and the idea is to get the doctors to use these more expensive

drugs instead of the drugs that may be just as good but are not as

expensive, " says Kasserir.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers say the sales efforts are critical to

educate doctors, but after practicing medicine for 40 years, Kassanoff

is worried about the education they provide.