Do Doctors make changes in a person's medical treatment to help the big drug companies sell new drugs?

Question

I have been told that my blood test showed that my liver enzymes were elevated. I am on several medications, for depression, anxiety, and back pain. I have been taking these medications for years with no problems. All of these new medications have made me very sick, and most of them had to be stoped. The doctor has put me back on my old medications, and I'm beginning to feel better. My old medications were off patent, and are generic, do doctors make these unnecessary changes to help the drug companies sell newer more expensive drugs? Are the doctors working the big drug companies, or me? Patented drugs are expensive, generic drugs are not, so they are cheaper, and less profitable for the big drug companies. I think medicine in this country has more to do with money, and politics, and less to do with health care. What do you think? I think this is a very important question, and I'm looking for thoughtfull answers only, please.

First thanks to all of you who answered, I will keep this question up as long as I can. I knew that this question was a," hot button issue ", that's why I posted it. Lots of people are asking themselves, is the doctor writing this prescription because he thinks it'll help me, or because if he writes 1 more he gets a free trip on a cruse ship. Medicine should be an art form, not just another business. Being a Doctor can be a noble occupation, and we should not let it become tainted by money, and politics. Keep giving me answers, this is a very important question for us all, and we need to let the medical profession know how we feel. We will all need medical attention at some point in our lives, and we want the Doctors to help us not the big drug companies, or the politicians. Health care in America is broken, and we need get it fixed now!!! Because sooner,or later we will all need a Doctor, the good ones alleviate sickness and pain, the bad ones cause it, it's as simple as that.

First thanks to all of you who answered, I will keep this question up as long as I can. I knew that this question was a," hot button issue ", that's why I posted it. Lots of people are asking themselves, is the doctor writing this prescription because he thinks it'll help me, or because if he writes 1 more he gets a free trip on a cruse ship. Medicine should be an art form, not just another business. Being a Doctor can be a noble occupation, and we should not let it become tainted by money, and politics. Keep giving me answers, this is a very important question for us all, and we need to let the medical profession know how we feel. We will all need medical attention at some point in our lives, and we want the Doctors to help us not the big drug companies, or the politicians. Health care in America is broken, and we need to get it fixed now!!! Because sooner,or later we will all need a Doctor, the good ones alleviate sickness and pain, the bad ones cause it, it's as simple as that.

Answer 1

Not always.

Answer 2

Have you ever thought that maybe your doctor is trying to see if one of the newer medications might work better for you? I work with a bunch of doctors and they do not make any money from the pharmacautical companies...that was in the 80's! A good doctor will let you try some samples of a new medication to see if it works better and if you like it...if not, ask for the generic form. Today, most doctors go into medicine because they care about the patient...if you don't think your doctor is looking out for your best interest, switch doctors! Get the book "Healthcare for Less" by Michelle Katz....you can find some great drug programs and you may even be able to educate you doctor on how to get lower cost meds from this so he/she can tell his or her other patients. These days a pharmacautical company is only allowed to spend $24.99/ doctor. You might want to tell that doctor to order a few copies of the book for his/her patients if he cares about where the system is going...the book only costs about $10 on www.amazon.com and about $15 in the store...in fact, the drug companies could buy this book for the doctor to give to his/her patients! I have seen it sone in the office I work in and it has helped the patient work better with the doctor to save money in healthcare!!!!!! I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Most doctors do not make changes to your drug regime to help the big drug companies sell new drugs.

We realize that they do very well thank you.

Some doctors are influenced by having had a recent bit of entertainment (dinner and a talk or some such) by the drug company peddling their new drug S-whateveritis which is just the active half of the old drug whateveritis...

Some doctors just look on the pen they are writing with and think "Wow - oh yeah - I'll just give them THIS drug."

It's sort of like how you choose your dinner. Closer to the point, it is like how you'd choose your headache tablet. Do you go with the generic chemists own brand ultra cheap paracetamol or ibuprofen or whatever, or do you buy the latest and greatest nicely packaged combination analgesic?

Some doctors put a lot of thought into it. Feel free to ask your doctor about WHY you are being prescribed such and such. The less open your doctor is to challenge, the more I think you should find a doctor who is happy to educate you.

Kurticus - I prescribe generic drugs that are on formulary in the hospital. Where is your overwhelming evidence, please? I see no references and you don't strike me as a member of the medical community. Drug companies actually spend a LOT MORE on developing new drugs that they can push than they spend in advertising to doctors and patients.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, this sort of thing does happen, although not as much as I think people believe. It is unethical and doctors can get sued over it, so I think it is rare. Your doctor might have changed your medication because he was afraid that your body would adapt to the old ones and they would become less effective, or the new drugs may have been shown to work even better or have less side-effects than the old ones. If you're ever concerned with your doctor's choices of medication, it is your right to question him. Ask him "Why are you switching my medications? My old ones are working just fine, and they're cheaper?" And make sure he gives you a straight answer. If not, you might want to think about switching doctors.

Answer 5

Wow, This is a complex issue. I think SOME doctors do get "kickbacks" from drug companies - in fact, I'm sure of it. BUT, on the flip side - there are some doctors who are progressive and informed about the latest developments in medicine - since it is an ever-changing process - and are open to trying newer treatments. You tend to see it more with doctors who are age 40 and younger, but that's not always the case. My family's doctor is probably 55 if he's a day, and he's very open to trying newer treatments - IF he thinks you'll benefit from them. Case in point - my mom's an asthmatic, and when Flovent and Serevent weren't cutting it for her, on a maintence level, he changed her to Advair and it was the BEST thing. My mom also asked him about changing from one other drug to another for something else, and he told her that the drug she was considering changing to has some side effects he's not entirely comfortable with, but if she wanted to change, it would mean going back to the beginning and starting with a low dose and having monthly blood tests until they get the dose right. She decided not to. But, her cardiologist wanted to double a medication and add another - both of which are not proven to be completely effective with women, and told her she was foolish when she objected. Was the cardiologist getting a kickback? Probably. (Aside from the fact that he's a jack*ss in general and shouldn't be practicing, IMO.)

The bottom line is - as a patient you have to be involved with your own care. Don't just accept a prescription and doctors' orders as gospel. ASK questions of the doctor: WHY do you want me to be on this medication? What are the benefits? Risks? What do I need to watch for? What do I do then? Then go do your own research. Don't be afraid to tell your doctor you want time to think about changing treatments.

Answer 6

Medicine is about money. The big companies offer more incentives to your doctor and to medical researchers than you could offer to them in your lifetime. There was an AIDS conference recently in Toronto. Bill and Melinda Gates have gotten involved in helping people around the world. The grants they are giving out to medical researchers have a stipulation that all researchers must share their results to expediate a vaccine and a cure for AIDS ( as well as their grants in other areas of research ). It seems as if all researchers are going to really try hard now to help people. It's amazing what a hundred million dollars here and there can do to help researchers. It's too bad these medical professionals couldn't do this on their own. It took Bill and Melinda Gates to get involved. It must have been like Christmas to AIDS researchers.....
It's all about the money.

Answer 7

They most certainly do. The drug reps that go into the offices even give the doctors money, gifts and tickets to sport games. And in return, the doctors givethe drug reps brand drugs to patients. I worked in a pharmacy also and drug reps would come into the pharmacy and ask how much of such and such drug do we fill. And when its not enough they hit the doctors harder in the immediate area to push their drugs. I personally know drug reps and what I say is true even though its illegal for doctors to take "gifts" from drug reps.

Answer 8

they are not supposed to, however , i have a friend who was "dealing drugs" in that she would take new drugs to doctors offices to try out and they do receive some compensation, how much i don't know to say. but i know that they do try these new drugs but as long as they serve to help the person's condition. due to the hypocratic oath the doctor is supposed to prescribe what they feel is best to help you get better, cure you or make you feel better.. not what lines their pockets with more $$ , however!! we know that is NOT always the case unfortunately.

Answer 9

Well, they sometimes hand out the large quantities of free samples, that the drug companies send them.

I get a load of Celebrex for persistant stress headaches.

Answer 10

My guess is Yes. I've never been to a doctor's office that there wasn't someone there from a pharmaceutical company. They're getting something out of it.

Answer 11

aware drug companies pay doctors prescribe promote drugs