Pharmaceutical sales representatives often get a bad rap, stereotyped as unethical drug peddlers. But in his latest op-ed for Medical Progress Today, ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom points out how important drug reps may be to improving medical care. He observes, for instance, that in the absence of any continuing medical education requirements related to new pharmaceuticals, physicians often rely on these drug reps to keep them informed about new products and drug indications. This is a valuable service, he writes, and perhaps it is time that this side of the story is considered.
Drug reps help bridge a gap in the flow of information between pharmaceutical companies and clinical care settings. Physicians, already hard-pressed for time to spend with patients, are often unable to read up on the latest drug research and development. So, although relying on drug reps for this information certainly has some flaws and potential for abuse, Dr. Bloom still believes that, on the whole, it is far more useful than harmful.
Still, ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross, whose perspective comes from decades as a practicing physician, notes, It should be kept in mind that drug reps present, by definition, a skewed picture of the absolute and comparative benefits and risks of their particular product. Ongoing clinical education is still the most reliable way for clinicians to keep abreast of state-of-the-art medicine.
Read more about this intriguing issue here.
