Finally, a Ban on Legal Drug Paraphernalia!

Not that it will dramatically lessen Big Pharma's influence on physician's prescribing practices, but at least there will be a lot less useless clutter around the office that the nurses have to constantly pick up. And, let's be frank, it is pure crap that the reps unload on us from the pens that fall apart or whose ink supply lasts a mere two days to the mounds of branded post-its that quickly become a fire hazard to cheap tape measures emblazoned with the drug-of-the-moment's logo (to encourage patients to measure how fat they are?) to the many bottles of drug-specific lotion and handsoap that apparently all come from the same nasty manufacturer. Good riddance! Now, if we can just get rid of the drug samples, we, namely physicians, can all get back to the business of caring for the patient in the most cost-effective manner possible--by considering generics as a first-round choice for medication treatment provided there are no contraindications.

The NY Times article mentions that some doctors are amused by the ban and indignant at the idea that anything as simple as a branded tchochke could influence their prescribing practices. Well, my dear doctor friends, there are studies to show that brand advertising works in subversive ways. Heck, the doctor I work for prescribes one high blood pressure drug simply because it's the one for which he receives the most generous samples, and it's a combination pill. Sure, his belief is that patients will be more compliant with a one-pill, rather than a two-pill regimen, and this is the point over which the rep practically foams at the mouth. But, seriously, is the inconvenience of taking two pills a day rather than one worth a 3-5x escalation in price? I guarantee the patient's insurance company, if she's lucky enough to have coverage, doesn't believe so, which means the nurses will get a call from pharmacy requesting preauthorization for the drug because it's non-preferred. Then, we have to go through the motions of submitting a request to the insurance company that is certain to be denied because the patient has not demonstrated treatment failure with preferred generics. All of this time-wasting drama because some branded samples were sitting on a shelf, and the doctor didn't have to think about what to prescribe. What idiocy!

In the meantime, I suppose I'll enjoy my less cluttered desk and do my best to avoid the drug reps, particularly Ms. LoEstrin, who despite her previous Oscar-worthy antics, has been rather subdued in her last couple of visits. Maybe, she's taken a clue from Big Pharma marketers and started on a new drug. Maybe, she's crushing up the LoEstrin and snorting it. I don't know, and I don't really care as long as she stays out of my hair. On her last visit, she did feel it necessary to inform me that she and her friends were going to a Britney Spears concert to which I replied, "I wouldn't tell people that if I were you." I hope she carries her couture LoEstrin clutch. Wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to advertise for birth control at a Britney Spears concert. Hey, Big Pharma, can we get a ban on stupidity?