Most US neurologists prescribing MS drugs have received pharma industry cash | Nearly 80% of US neurologists prescribing drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) received at least one pharma industry payment, with higher volume prescribers more likely to be beneficiaries, 5 year study finds

[u/FunnyGamer97]

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1095648

[u/LieutenantBrainz]

As a neurologist, this feels like the "you guys are getting paid?!" meme...

In all seriousness, I don't know of anyone I work, nor worked, with who has received money directly.

[u/BraveOthello → u/LieutenantBrainz]

Ever gone to a dinner put on by a pharma rep or they bought lunch for you office? Those are the kind of payments the article mentions at the most common.

It's not money directly into your pocket, but its paying for something you would other wise need out of their marketing budget.

[u/LieutenantBrainz → u/BraveOthello]

Sure, lunch and dinner is often provided by many companies - not just MS drugs and not just drugs in neurology even - but this article title suggests we're getting that cold hard cash, which in a way, seems to be suggesting neurologists are some money-hungry villains in the market.

[u/BraveOthello → u/LieutenantBrainz]

Yes, and that's a huge issue with the how the article frames the general case. But some neurologists are getting cold hard cash, and sometimes a lot of it. It's not fair the way the article implies this is a particular problem with MS drugs, it might be (it isn't) but the study can only reasonably be used to make claims about neurologists and MS drugs, so that's what it The article did.

The important part is that the study the article looks at suggests that both direct and indirect payments significantly increase the rate at which a doctor prescribes the a company's drugs.

This isn't new information, and it's not restricted to neurology, this has been a known thing for decades. This is just research that reinforces the degree of the effect.

If it didn't work companies would stop doing it, and remember seeing pharma reps at my pediatrician's office decades ago.

[u/LieutenantBrainz → u/BraveOthello]

Personally, nobody can pay me cash to write more of a drug. Simply unethical above all else.

On the other hand, It’s hard to turn down a good roast beef sandwich. I’m only human.

Still won’t intentionally write more Rx’s because of the roast beef though.

[u/BraveOthello → u/LieutenantBrainz]

The article nor study suggested actual kickbacks. But it does suggest that sandwich (and the "hey here's info about our drug") does actually increases your likelyhood to prescribe that drug, whether you think it will or not. Maybe it's recency bias, maybe it is actually a better choice that something else, the reasons aren't investigated here that I saw.

To be clear, I don't think you're a bad doctor, or person, for taking their free lunch. It's just important to remember we're all human and have cognitive biases this kind of marketing takes advantage of.