Senators Dick Durbin and Herb Kohl are proposing a federal grant program to allowing the hiring of physicians pharmacists and nurses who would to come up with "objective" promotional material (there's an oxymoron) about prescription drugs. These tax-payer paid reps would also go to doctor's offices to counter the promotion and use of higher-priced brand drugs that -- as the Senators claim -- are no more effective than generic versions.
If the goal is to increase generic prescribing shouldn't the generic industry be paying for these reps and the information? And if health care costs are the problem, why not send government paid reps to discourage use diagnostics, surgery and other services that are growing more rapidly than drug spending?
Oh wait, that's called rationing.
http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/senators-plan-bill-countering-pharma-detailing-tactics/2008-03-14
If the goal is to increase generic prescribing shouldn't the generic industry be paying for these reps and the information? And if health care costs are the problem, why not send government paid reps to discourage use diagnostics, surgery and other services that are growing more rapidly than drug spending?
Oh wait, that's called rationing.
http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/senators-plan-bill-countering-pharma-detailing-tactics/2008-03-14
