waah no more lipitor post it pads

[fluffhead]

No More Goodies for Doctors From Drug Makers
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/busin ... ml?_r=1&hp
Does anybody think that this will make a difference? Maybe. All I know is my kids really look forward to DW getting back from conferences and emptying her bags of promotional items.

[migirl]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

Huh ... that's interesting. DS#1 actually loves all the drug rep trinkets that my parents give him.

[v-girl]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

Yeah, sucks. We had to get some pen refills for hubby's fav pen because no cool pens from the drug reps anymore.

I asked him if he wanted me to ask our 4th grader's friend's dad to get him a few cool pens.

[ladymoreta]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

No kidding! It just makes patients go in and ask for super-expensive drugs when if they discussed their real problem with their doctor, they might end up with a much cheaper prescription.

I think this is probably a good thing for PR for doctors and pharmaceutical companies, but I agree with the doctors interviewed that a pen or notepad doesn't really affect what they prescribe. When I worked in a doctor's office, I noticed that she prescribed things she had samples for pretty often, so she could give the patients part of their prescription for free. I think samples probably have a much bigger impact on prescriptions than office supplies or lunches.

The restrictions come as a blow to the makers and distributors of promotional products, an industry with an annual turnover of about $19 billion... Such companies, accustomed to orders of up to a million pens a drug, stand to lose around $1 billion a year in sales as a result of the drug industry’s voluntary ban, the group said.

Do you smell a bail-out? j/k!

[KCwife]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

DH and I have been talking about this for awhile...

Think about all the promo items laying around the doctors office... kleenex boxes, pens, the on the wall glove holder, trashcans, etc... so the cost of all this "stuff" will now go to practices to provide...

[SuzySunshine]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

There hasn't been free stuff like that here for a while. I can see how it would become a cost to private practices though and it will kill the promo industry.

[lastdefence]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

I think they have been cracking down on this in Canada for a while now. However, I was working at a medical librarian conference last year and the conference bags were full of cool pens, highlighters, samples, post its, etc. from drug companies! I'm sure they will find other people who are in healthcare to send their promo stuff to. :P

I hadn't thought about how no promo stuff would cost practices more.

If you need pens, check this site out:
http://www.nofreelunch.org/

If you send in your drug rep pens, he'll send you new ones without any names on them! But if you send him like 30 I don't think he sends 30 new ones back.

[Michele]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

oohhh....my neighbor is a drug rep and couldn't give out her stash anymore....so it made it's way to our house! I have pens for the next year!

[Thirteen]

Re: waah no more lipitor post it pads

I have all that left over stuff too.
Most of it is Tygacil - everything is tiger-striped.

I look like a wild animal freak at school when I use Tygacil antibacterial gel, Tygacil pens... etc.