Friend or foe of the retail pharmaceutical representatives? They do carry CME credit with their visits. BD
Midway through a visit with a physician, drug rep Leigh Bradshaw, RN, noticed the doctor's posture change. He sat up straight and listened intently as she discussed evidence on the relative merits of proton pump inhibitors and other acid-suppressing therapies. "I was at Grand Rounds last week, and they were saying exactly the same thing," Bradshaw recalls the doctor saying with amazement. "This is really good stuff!
Drugmakers say academic detailers can serve as a complement to industry reps and illustrate the educational value that drug reps provide physicians. But Clement Cypra, senior director of state policy for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the programs are driven by cost considerations and are superfluous, because already half the prescriptions purchased in the U.S. are for generics.
"If I see commercial detail people, I should see academic detailing people to get a balance," Dr. Sebastianelli said. "Even if each one is slanted, it's your obligation as a physician to tease apart the excesses on each side."
AMNews: Sept. 24, 2007. New reps, new rap: The counter-detailers ... American Medical News
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