New Docs Need Drug Company Training
December 20th, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) â If you watch TV, you probably thinking pharmaceutical companies are spending their last dollar to get you to try their drugs.
In reality, however, the bulk of the pharmaceutical industryâs advertising budget goes to convince doctors of the merits of their medications. A new study conducted by investigators from the Indiana School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc., looked at how pharmaceutical company contact early in a doctorâs training might impact his or her attitudes about these companies.
The researchers reviewed 12 studies conducted over the past 16 years, finding medical schools made the most impact on doctor-company relationships when they simply refused to allow companies any contact with students. These students ended up being more skeptical about information received from drug companies when they became full-fledged doctors.
Students who were required to go through a one hour training course aimed at helping them navigate the tricky waters of pharmaceutical company advertising were better able to handle the situation when they graduated.
âDoing nothing is no longer an acceptable option,â study author Aaron E. Carroll, M.D., M.S., was quoted as saying. âMedical schools need to bring up the complex financial, medical and ethical issues involved in the interactions between doctors and drug companies. Fortunately doing almost anything seems to have at least a minimal impact.â
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SOURCE: Pediatrics, published online Dec 2007