The prescribing pyramid (National Prescribing Centre, 1999) is a stepwise approach that has involves seven stages (1-7), and each stage should be considered carefully before climbing to the next:…
The Pharmaceutical drug companies have a tendency to focus more on the sales and revenue than the research of any given product. This trend leads to misrepresentation of crucial scientific research on products. “A wide variety of research practices has been described as being used to distort the medical literature in favor of a clinical trial sponsor’s pharmaceutical intervention,” (Ross, Gross, & Krumholz, 2012, para. ).But also, not only do the drug companies practice unethical research studies, they spend money pushing products and incentives to physicians for writing the prescriptions for those drugs. That monetary value of those incentives is, often, more than the research on the drug itself. Two companies have been accused, tried, and charged for smudging results and falsifying findings for their benefit. It appears that pharmaceutical companies have interchanged the quest of treating and healing sickness and disease with the sole purpose of making money.…
There are many definitions of Independent prescribing, the Department of Health (2006 para 7 & 8)) working definition is:…
The Prescription drugs industry is one of my national economy important and special industry. It is closely related to people's health and life security, to protect and improve people's health has played a big role. Also, Industry's profit margin is very considerable. On the other hand, Prescription drug is a special kind of products, has a certain sensitivity, for the quality of the products and technology have very strict requirements. Because it is a direct effects on the human body, is closely related to people's health. The particularity of the industry is that ordinary consumers for the quality of the product and generally difficult to recognize and grasp the nature, generally trusted certification authority. Thus, From my perspective,…
In America’s society, advertisements are everywhere. There are many commercials and magazine spreads dedicated to the promotion of doctor prescribed medications. Known as direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA), new information is showing these could be more harmful than beneficial. Marketing of these drugs, unbeknownst to consumers, often takes place before information of long-term safety is known. Furthermore, patient’s views of doctoral qualifications can be undermined if the practitioner fails to prescribe the requested medication. Arguments for the benefits of DTCPA are often outweighed by the harms they cause. Banned in every country except New Zealand and the United States, DTCPA that includes product claims are more harmful than positive.…
The Food and Drug Administration relaxed the regulations regarding the need to advertise the side-effects of prescription drugs in 1997. (FDA) The relaxed regulation allows for direct-to-consumer advertising and this change the marketing strategies. There is now an influx of pharmaceutical advertising using infomercials. Gary Humphreys informs us in his article, “Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Under Fire”, that pharmaceutical companies “spent just under $5 billion last year alone” (576) on this type of advertising. The infomercials somehow make consumers believe that there is a need for them to have the drug and therefore create an increase in its sales. Because consumers have a desire to take control of their health they are now going in the doctor’s office and telling the doctor’s about the infomercial and the drug that they would like to try.…
“We Love Them. We Hate Them. We Take Them.” by Abigail Zuger discusses the sensitive topic of prescription drug abuse by doctors. She claims in her essay that drug advertisements have become so persuasive and aggressive, that doctors are feeling the need to prescribe them to patients, even though they don’t necessarily need them. Zuger uses a personal experience from her life to illustrate her thesis for the audience. The experience was when she prescribed one of her patients a pill because she felt it would help him, and she continually told him to keep taking it, but he told her it made him feel the opposite of better. She still pursued him to take it even though his body was signaling for him not to. He ended up in the hospital from this drug, and she feels awful about the entire situation. Zuger claims the situation has opened her eyes to the real effects of prescription drugs and to listen to the patient’s body, the description of the drug. “Beware of Drug Sales” by Therese Cherry claims that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are being too aggressively advertised, persuading people who don’t even need them to take them. She claims even some doctors are persuaded by the ads to prescribe them to their patients (such as Zuger), some are even paid. She claims this is an extremely negative effect on our…
Langreth, R. (2014, May). Big pharma 's favorite prescription: higher prices. , (), . Retrieved from…
Discovering dangers of prescription drugs after they have been marketed to the medical community and public is common. Generally, 51% of FDA-approved drugs have serious adverse effects not detected prior to approval.1 Each year prescription drugs injure 1.5 million people so severely they require hospitalization. In addition, prescription drugs cause 100,000 deaths annually. With these numbers, how can the public be protected from dangerous…
Going to the doctor’s office is never a fun experience. Probing, poking, and trying to decipher what the doc writes on your prescription can be confusing, however, the most upsetting part is what goes on behind closed doors. Big Pharma, chapter 3 of Lies the Media Tells Us, explains the PR tactics of drug companies. James Winter explains these tactics used to persuade doctors to use their brand. In some cases these doctors can get free vacations, cars, front row seating for a basketball game, and a stack of cash. The doctors that respond to these tactics are completely unethical. Doctors have the responsibility to prescribe the best drugs for their patients. Although many Doctors pick what gives the best gift package.…
References: Williams, S.J, Torrens, P.R., (2008). Chapter 11: The Pharmaceutical Industry. Introduction to Health Services (7th ed).…
This article talks about pharmacists and prescribers. It says that pharmacists, since they are the ones actually handing the drug to the person think that the percentage of patients they give the drugs to are abusing it is higher. The percentage is higher for pharmacists than it is for prescribers. This article may be helpful to be discussed in my paper because it shows how different health care practitioners think…
Prescription drugs are one of the main increasing costs in health care. It has an impact on the population that could not afford prescription drugs, including brand name. The use of generic and OTC (over-the-counter) drugs gave the underprivileged groups in America a better chance for purchase. People believe that the generic form of the drugs do not have the same effect that brand name drugs do. It is a concern that prescription drug addictions rise in the elderly and the younger groups who use for nonmedical reasons. The availability of drugs is one of the causes of abuse. Most people take medicines only…
The current FDA protocol calls for pharmacies to be registered under the FDA and these pharmacies must get approval from the FDA to sell these drugs (Kindy and Sun 3). Even though the FDA approves the drugs, there is no way to monitor how many doctors are prescribing, In addition, the FDA was forced to change its rules because pharmacies were ordering drugs without the government’s consent (Tavernise 1). However, with the advancement of technology, patients should be required to undergo strict background checks, aimed at identifying those individuals who go from one doctor to another obtain additional prescription drugs. This will allow the FDA to identify drug abusers and assist them in finding the help they need to overcome addiction or dependency. With this drug monitoring program, doctors will be able to help reduce drugs abuses, saving the medical industry millions of dollars in medical costs associated with drug addicts and…
While doing my research I came across an alarming statistic, The United States has 5% of the world’s population and consumes 75% of the world’s prescription drugs. That says a lot about the rate in which drugs are prescribed in the United States. In 2010, enough prescription painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult every 4 hours for 1 month. It seems to be the fix all for doctors today. There is a pill that cures almost every aliment one may have, but at what price? Why do we in the U.S. have such a high rate for taking prescription drugs?…