Oops. I made a mistake in yesterday’s blog entry (“Lack of Evidence-Based Accusations”). I referred to Dr. David J. Rothman as President of the Institute of Medicine. He is, in fact, President of the Institute on Medicine as a Profession. I have to admit that my initial reference came directly from the New York Times article on the JAMA editorial. (And I should know better than to take whatever appears in the New York Times as entirely fact-checked.) Mea culpa. (It’s like they say, everything you read in the paper is true, except for those things you know about personally.) What I find most interesting about this correction is that Dr. David Rothman isn’t even an MD — but he sure has strong opinions about who should be visiting their offices.
I also want to clarify my statement about the JAMA article’s lack of evidence. There certainly are plenty of citations — but not a jot about patient outcomes. How trivial! Further, the authors of the article view the visits of pharmaceutical sales reps as the only variable on a physician’s prescribing behavior. What about formulary restrictions? Or payment incentives? Or counter-detailing efforts, tiered co-pays or payor-switching? Details. Details. Details.
The concept that big, bad Pharma is to blame for everything isn’t just simplistic and sophistic but deleterious to a serious conversation about the issue. Rather than trying to point a finger, the authors should pick up a mirror.
