Patients Pay For Meds And Meals

Drug companies are concerned about their image. For decades, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and patients admired the pharmaceutical industry because it produced drug breakthroughs and provided life-saving medicines at affordable prices.
Those days are long gone. Nowadays health professionals and patients both complain bitterly about the high cost of drugs. And major manufacturers feel compelled to run expensive image ad campaigns to bolster their tarnished reputations.
No matter how much drug manufacturers spend on public relations, however, they cannot change the perception that medicines are costly.
One reader wrote: “I am a diabetic taking Actos, Amaryl, metformin and Lantus. I take Zocor for cholesterol, Mavik for high blood pressure, Vioxx for arthritis and Prilosec OTC for acid stomach.
“I also take Buspar, imipramine and Xanax for panic disorder. I know these are old medications but cost prohibits me from changing to newer drugs.
“Even with discount cards, my husband and I pay about $575 per month for prescriptions. Something should be done about the high cost of medications.”
To counteract such criticism, drug companies maintain that research is expensive. But their PR campaigns don’t mention how much is spent on promotion and marketing.
We heard from one reader who has managed doctors’ offices for decades: “Part of my job has been scheduling lunches that drug reps bring into the office for the physicians and staff. One of the offices, which had about 46 people to feed, had a free lunch scheduled for every day of the week, month in and month out. The office stayed booked as much as three to four months in advance for the free meals.
“The average cost for the lunches ran at about $250.00 per day. For a year of lunches, at just this single location, the price tag is a whopping $65,000.00. Considering how many offices there are, the overall national cost has to be astronomical.
“And then there is the endless supply of gadgets, pens, and sticky notes. Some of the things drug companies use for advertising in clinics are downright ridiculous. One company used a stuffed stomach. How many people need a stuffed stomach? Our office had about 10 of them left after one lunch. Most went directly into the trash bin.
“I can tell you that the physicians and staff appreciate the free meals, and that lunches are a great way for reps to get time with the physicians to promote their new drugs, but at what expense? It seems to me there could be another way to achieve this without spending so much. Surely this affects the patient’s pocketbook.”
Whether it’s lunches for the staff or fancy dinners for the doctors, drug companies spare no expense to woo those who control the prescription pads. And if that doesn’t work, they go directly to consumers with pricey TV commercials that urge patients to ask their doctors for drugs.
Image campaigns to counteract complaints about high prices may be intended to generate warm fuzzy feelings about pharmaceutical firms, but they also boost the bill for prescription drugs. When families spend $575 a month for essential medications, they may have a hard time feeling charitable towards this hugely successful industry.