Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Some insurers move toward drug sample bans
[Liz Szabo, "Health care cutting costs by closing door on drug reps," USA Today, 24 August 2004.]
While fine dinners and golf trips may already be a thing of the past for drug reps to court doctors with, some insurers are cutting off access altogether. The result is savings on prescription costs, and surprisingly, the drug manufacturers may even be relieved about the new policies:
Employees at Affinity Health System conducted a controversial sort of spring cleaning this year.
The company, based in northeast Wisconsin, cleared its clinics of clocks, calendars and other freebies dished out by drug companies. The goal: to strip away promotional items that encourage doctors to prescribe pricey brand-name drugs.
Drug salespeople also may no longer buy lunch for office staff as a way to finagle more time to pitch their products, says Michael Madden, Affinity's medical director for primary care.
And Affinity is developing a policy to dramatically cut back on free drug samples. Consumers who refill prescriptions for brand-name pills may spend hundreds of dollars more than if they started off with cheaper generics, Madden says.
With prescription drugs driving up the cost of medical care, Affinity is among a small but growing number of health systems that are turning their clinics into commercial-free zones.
Such changes have been unpopular with drug reps, who say they're just trying to help doctors stay up to date on the latest medical information, as well as some physicians, who often reserve samples for patients who can't afford prescription drugs. Some health companies have tried to soften the blow of banning samples by hiring specialists to help poor patients enroll in discount-drug programs.
Some health systems have seen dramatic results. Drug costs declined 10% after the Seattle-area Everett Clinic banned sales reps and samples in 1998, even as costs rose 15% at competing practices, says medical director Al Fisk.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics offers patients vouchers for free generics in place of samples. Lee Vermeulen, director of the school's Center for Drug Policy, estimates that every $1,000 spent on generics saves the health care system — including patients, insurers, employers and others — $1 million a year.
Some doctors complain that reformers are going too far. Drugmakers note that samples also let patients try medications — to make sure that they don't cause allergic reactions or side effects — before paying for a larger supply.
Christine Kirby, a spokeswoman for Aventis, says her company opposes policies that limit interactions between drug reps and doctors. "We believe that access to relevant scientific and educational information leads to optimal patient care," she says.
Doctors such as John Billi of the University of Michigan Medical School say that restrictions on drug marketing actually ease the pressure on manufacturers. "If one pharmaceutical company does it, they all have to do it," says Billi, associate dean for clinical affairs. "We feel like we're helping them by calling off the arms race."
[Liz Szabo, "Health care cutting costs by closing door on drug reps," USA Today, 24 August 2004.]
While fine dinners and golf trips may already be a thing of the past for drug reps to court doctors with, some insurers are cutting off access altogether. The result is savings on prescription costs, and surprisingly, the drug manufacturers may even be relieved about the new policies:
Employees at Affinity Health System conducted a controversial sort of spring cleaning this year.
The company, based in northeast Wisconsin, cleared its clinics of clocks, calendars and other freebies dished out by drug companies. The goal: to strip away promotional items that encourage doctors to prescribe pricey brand-name drugs.
Drug salespeople also may no longer buy lunch for office staff as a way to finagle more time to pitch their products, says Michael Madden, Affinity's medical director for primary care.
And Affinity is developing a policy to dramatically cut back on free drug samples. Consumers who refill prescriptions for brand-name pills may spend hundreds of dollars more than if they started off with cheaper generics, Madden says.
With prescription drugs driving up the cost of medical care, Affinity is among a small but growing number of health systems that are turning their clinics into commercial-free zones.
Such changes have been unpopular with drug reps, who say they're just trying to help doctors stay up to date on the latest medical information, as well as some physicians, who often reserve samples for patients who can't afford prescription drugs. Some health companies have tried to soften the blow of banning samples by hiring specialists to help poor patients enroll in discount-drug programs.
Some health systems have seen dramatic results. Drug costs declined 10% after the Seattle-area Everett Clinic banned sales reps and samples in 1998, even as costs rose 15% at competing practices, says medical director Al Fisk.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics offers patients vouchers for free generics in place of samples. Lee Vermeulen, director of the school's Center for Drug Policy, estimates that every $1,000 spent on generics saves the health care system — including patients, insurers, employers and others — $1 million a year.
Some doctors complain that reformers are going too far. Drugmakers note that samples also let patients try medications — to make sure that they don't cause allergic reactions or side effects — before paying for a larger supply.
Christine Kirby, a spokeswoman for Aventis, says her company opposes policies that limit interactions between drug reps and doctors. "We believe that access to relevant scientific and educational information leads to optimal patient care," she says.
Doctors such as John Billi of the University of Michigan Medical School say that restrictions on drug marketing actually ease the pressure on manufacturers. "If one pharmaceutical company does it, they all have to do it," says Billi, associate dean for clinical affairs. "We feel like we're helping them by calling off the arms race."
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