Drug Reps

[SueC]

What sucks is that apparently they have changed the rules over recent years and they are no longer allowed to include spouses! Those used to be the only times we ever got to eat at nice restaurants and now my husband has to choose between going without me and staying home. Both of my sisters are drug reps and they don't really like the new rules either but they have no choice. They used to plan a lot of "family friendly" outings (the zoo for example) but they can't do that anymore. I'd be curious to find out if they find less physicians attending if they cannot bring their spouses?

They do a lot of dragging my husband away to play golf, which doesn't interest me, so I'm not really affected by it. Story of my life...I get into something right after they implement austerity measures.

He's going to try to get them to pay for a couple of more expensive journal subscriptions and practice-related programs for his Palmpilot. I do know that the samples they provide are often a lifesaver for some of his patients who have trouble affording their prescriptions.

[migirl]

Oh yes, this will continue l-o-n-g after residency ... My dad is a FP and they still take him to dinner, golf outings, fishing trips, etc. Before they changed the rules my mom used to always go along (and before that, when my brother and I lived at home we used to tag along every once in a while too!), but now she sits at home by herself although it doesn't seem to bother her too much. I have to admit, though, DH has been out on a couple of dinners and I've felt annoyed that I couldn't go and that he wasn't spending the evening with me.

[SuzySunshine]

So here is a question from a med student spouse! Do the doctors have to go on these? Can they pick and choose or are they expected to go to all of them?

[migirl]

I would say that attendance for these affairs is definitely optional. But ... sometimes it's nice for him to have a nice dinner (that we wouldn't normally be able to afford! ) and have "social" time outside the hospital with the other residents that he wouldn't ordinarily be able to have.

[SueC]

Thank goodness they don't have to go to all of them, and thank goodness my husband doesn't! He probably goes to less than one per month. I'm usually a little jealous that he does go, but I suppose if we can't afford to go to the fancy steakhouses, at least one of us should get to go every once in awhile. My dad sometimes takes pity on me and takes me to nice restuarants to make up for it!

[PrincessFiona]

Thomas doesn't go. His perspective is that instead of trying to 'buy' physicians that they should be looking at ways to cut costs and provide medications less expensively He's a real stinker about it...He was asked two years ago to give a talk at a conference (which he did)...his salary was sponsored by a particular drug company that produces an antibiotic that is overused and so he spent the talk telling the other docs to NOT prescribe the drug Needless to say, last year, the drug company didn't ask him to speak for them


kris

[Meenah]

Jory rarely goes. If it is a drug he prescribes he will consider it, but usually he doesn't.
Luanne

[Cumberland]

We are in a different boat- I get to attend them and usually have to make excuses for DH to come since he is a student. Given that, I rarely go unless it is a restaurant that I really want to visit. I know at least in NY and GA, that reps were no longer allowed to give out tickets. I used to go to Braves games all the time courtesy of the reps, but they stopped that. Does it depend on what state you live in?

I'd be curious to find out if they find less physicians attending if they cannot bring their spouses?

I know that here they very rarely have dinners anymore because of this. Most Docs feel if they cant take their spouse they arent going. They already spend enough time away from their family. However, if is something they really want to go to, they usually have the option to bring their spouse if the are willing to pay for them. ..Most of the docs here think its crap so no one shows up.

[SueC]

My sister says her company policy is that you aren't supposed to invite spouses, but if a doctor brings his/her spouse you are not to put them on the spot so the company will pay for the spouse as well.

When we were in Tulsa (before the rules changed!), we went to a several dinners. Then the Peds department would have parties twice a year that were paid for by drug reps (I can remember there being at least three different reps there).
Since the change, DW only goes to the rep'd functions if it is a lunch, so that she can come home and be home in the evening.

[houseelf]

This new rule really puts DH in a bind. We got catered box seating tickets to see the Wild twice last year. We had a great time. To say that DH loves hockey is an understatement and there is no way that we could even afford basic tickets for three people. Still, he feels like when he is out of the hospital, his time belongs to us, so he turned down box seating because we couldn't go. (I did encourage him to without us....I promise.) I wonder if other physicians are making the same choices.

Kelly

What they do alot at my husbands program is that they have lunches at really nice restaurants. While I'm a little jealous that the man eats better lunches than me, I dont feel that they take away time from the family this way. Lunch is something him as well as other residents have to take anyway. May as well be at a nice and expensive place that they dont have to pick up the bill at. Our hospital has banned reps from holding any of their meetings on the premises, might be why the lunches work out better. It's unfortunate that there arent things we can go to together though.

[PrincessFiona]

OK...I have to ask....does anyone else here have a problem with the actual 'idea' of drug reps giving gifts/expensive tickets/expensive dinners in exchange for listening to a little talk about a drug in hopes that the doc will use it? I think there are some real ethical issues at play here. Many docs don't have the time to do thorough investigations of the drug and tend to prescribe it based on what a pharm rep says. We all know that they aren't independent voices talking about balanced scientific research on the drug...they all go with their own studies funded by them.....

Shouldn't doctors rely more on indep. literature and clinical trials?


just curious


kris

btw...we did go to a lot of drug dinners during residency....just so you don't think we're totally out there.