[NP-Clinical] nutritional supplements -ethics issues

[Dena]

The ethical issue, as I see it, stems from the fact that by selling their
own products in the office, the provider is making direct profit for
themselves and this may in turn influence their recommendations for
treatment to their patients. Hard to stay objective when you're counting up
the dollar signs in your head. Conflict of interest??? Plus, patients might
feel intimidated and pressured to buy their provider's products in order to
please them. 

Dena Galler

 

  _____  

From: np-clinical-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:np-clinical-bounces at nurse.net]
On Behalf Of nyquil at comcast.net
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 9:55 AM
To: np-clinical at nurse.net
Subject: [NP-Clinical] nutritional supplements -ethics issues

 

Hi,

 

Been skimming the boards and thought I'd add my 2cents.

 

I could see there being a concern over ethical issues of a pcp selling
health and wellness products in their office but, wouldn't these same
ethical issues be applied to  what a pcp is doing when
recommending/prescribing "products" to their patient?  Are not the pcp's
wined/dined and given many perks and other items by the drug rep or
manufacturing company in order to gain "favor" for their particular
product/products?

 

Other than a straight forward handing out of a product information sheets
with the complete details of the "product" on it, wouldn't those other
"perks" be part of the same ethical issue? 

 

I am personally a believer in the natural treatment of medical conditions
(when available), and feel that there has been much research in the area.  

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that we live in a society
that monetarily rewards individuals for their ability, knowledge, and hard
work.  Shouldn't a pcp be allowed the same?  

 

Drug companies make tens of billions of dollars from the sale of drugs. Drug
companies employ thousands of pcp's, many from major academic centers, to go
around lecturing and promoting their drugs.    One could argue -- and I
sense this is perhaps the essence of the concern expressed-- that by
promoting the sale of supplements one, would lose a certain amount of
objectivity. That is a possibility. However, If I questioned the
honesty/objectivity of my pcp, I'd not be seeing them any longer.  

 

One could also raise the argument of objectivity in regards to the thousands
of university and hospital based pcp's who work, promote, endorse, and
lecture on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, the tens of thousands of
drug stores and pharmacists who benefit from the sale of expensive drugs,
the dozens of TV stations who make money from drug company ads, the hundreds
of medical journals and their editorial staff who benefit from the
advertising dollars spent to promote and support their magazines, etc, etc.
Most of these medical journals are much more likely to endorse the use of
drugs to treat medical conditions than natural herbs and supplements since
almost all the advertising dollars comes from the drug companies who have
such deep pockets. These drug companies are in such a great position to make
huge profits. They have hundreds of thousands of private practice pcp's who
promote their drugs to t! heir pa tients. And these private practice pcp's
are not paid (in so many words)  to promote these drugs. All they need is an
occasional visit by a drug rep, and medical journals sent to them for free.
Dozens of journals are mailed free to pcp's each week. Many of the articles
in these journals are written by pcp's based in prestigious universities or
hospitals who are paid by the drug companies to write positive things about
their drugs while discounting the benefits of herbs and supplements that
could be, in some cases, just, or even more beneficial at a fraction of the
cost. 

 

These magazines are mailed free to pcp's since the advertising dollars make
a subscription fee unnecessary. In brief, these drug companies have a huge
sales force of well-meaning but  brainwashed unpaid pcp's who prescribe
these drugs (some drugs are beneficial, others harmful) to their patients,
and these private practice pcp's don't even get a share of the profit for
making the drug companies so wealthy! (By using the term brainwashed, I mean
that these pcp's are so busy with their practice, and their exposure to
medical information comes in such an exclusive manner from the drug
companies, that they are not aware of natural alternatives though this is
now changing with many pcp's today.) In addition, since the cost of most
drugs is paid by the insurance companies, these pharmaceutical companies get
their money not directly from the consumer, but a third party payer. Free
sales force of pcp! 's, thi rd party insurance payers... what a wonderful
and profitable business model they have created!!


 There is potential and harm from both supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.
If my pcp could supply me with a product that works and at a fair price, I'd
have no problem with that.  It saves me time and in the end, money.  (Again,
if I felt their ethics were in question, I'd have already been shoping for a
new pcp).

 

Jay

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