Shrinks On The Take
Wonder why your shrink prescribes one drug and not another? Maybe it pays for him...literally. Noted schizophrenia researcher Dr. E. Fuller Torrey writes about how pharmaceutical companies surreptitiously put shrinks on their payroll by funding their conference trips and talks; and then, here's the really scary part -- how they can monitor how loyal the docs are to the company's drugs in return:
Pharmaceutical companies in many countries can now use computerized pharmacy databases (which delete the names of the patients) to track how many prescriptions any given physician writes for any given drug. So Eli Lilly could sponsor Dr. Smith from Detroit or Manchester, send him to Berlin, and then monitor his prescribing pattern following the congress. If Dr. Smith's prescriptions for Zyprexa and Prozac do not increase sufficiently, a company representative can remind him how well he was treated in Berlin. And besides, isn't he interested in going to Copenhagen next summer?There is clear evidence that attending conferences such as the Berlin meeting does affect the prescribing practices of physicians. In one U.S. study, 10 physicians were invited by a pharmaceutical company to attend "all-expenses paid" symposia at "popular Sunbelt vacation sites." The company tracked the physicians' prescribing patterns for two drugs, for 22 months before and 17 months after the symposia. Though the physicians had predicted that their attendance would not affect their prescribing practices, their prescriptions for one drug increased 87 percent and for the other, 272 percent. Other studies have shown that attending drug-sponsored education courses affects drug-prescribing practices, even though the physicians deny it. Indeed, if it were otherwise, why would pharmaceutical companies sponsor such activities?
So, maybe you're not all that crazy. Maybe your shrink just owes a few people. It's kind of like the mob, except that the mob never thought to give out pens and message pads with, say, John Gotti's name on them.
(via Metafilter)
Zyprexa? Wasn't she that drag queen I say lip-synching "Love is a Battlefield" last night? Personally, I thought her HAIR was the battlefield.
Lena Cuisina at September 20, 2003 6:28 AM
Does this actually SURPRISE anyone? Why else would the pharmaceutical companies spend that kind of money? This happens in every industry--nothing's 'free'. The sponsor always expects to see increased sales--otherwise, why go to the trouble?
Caveat emptor--we need to be very aware of what we're being sold in every arena of life.
Peggy C at September 20, 2003 1:00 PM
Peggy's right. Even if psychotherapy IS worthwhile, and it's as productive as the rest of modern medicine, The Buyer *must* BEWARE. You almost always know more than your doctor about what's happening to your body.
And we should not discount the possibility that it's all a just a waft of dank smoke. Freud had many insights. And progress has been made on many other fronts, particularly in the realm of the deeply diseased (schizophrenia, Alzheimers).
But to assume that the average thereapuetic fucntionary on the corner has talents for the interior life, let alone that those talents can be tapped for a modest hourly wage... That's too much to hope for. And the people who buy cassette for the car are just plain being robbed.... Though Barbara DeAngeles would have been fun to have sex with in the late 80's (if she had just STOPPED TALKING).
Without spellcheck, I am so fucked.
Crid at September 20, 2003 1:39 PM
I'm not a big believer in medically treating the emotionally distressed. You can give a pill to relieve anxiety or depression, although you cannot address the issues that cause depression or anxiety with a pill. A pill does not give a person a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Patrick at September 20, 2003 3:12 PM
Crid, babe, I think you need more than spellcheck. I couldn't follow your thinking at all.
Patrick, I get out of bed for pills every single day. I take amphetamines to get my ass in the shower in the morning, Xanax to face the morning traffic, Ritalin after lunch to help me meet the FedEx deadline, and Valium to take the edge off, especially when I'm doing volunteer work as a mentor at the local Boys Club of America.
Lena Cuisina at September 21, 2003 12:02 AM
It's important to confirm dosages. :)
Crid at September 21, 2003 6:42 AM