Interactions Between Pharmaceutical Representatives and Doctors in Training

Nowadays, there is a phenomenon that a number of doctors in hospital only prescribe some kind of medicine. Some people argument why this phenomenon happened? So, there is another phrase appeared -pharmaceutical representative. This is a new occupation, the staff aiming to recommend doctor to sale the manufactory's medicine. Of course, the doctors who sale this given medicine will obtain high payment. As the article writing, Interactions between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry have been coming under increasing scrutiny both within the medical field and among the public. (1,2) And this kind of sale activities plan already effect doctors' prescription. Like the author said that the medical literature has demonstrated that promotional activities can effectively influence the behaviors of practicing physicians, such as prescribing decisions and requests to add medications to a formulary. (5)

However, for this kind of sale activities, personally, I think this is unmoral way. The obligation of doctor is prescribing the best medicine to patient. The best is not means expensive or several special, but means effective or boon. If the doctors just follow the recommendation of Pharmaceutical Representatives to prescribe the medicine, it seems unfair for patient, and this medicine not always work to some special symptom. To doctor, the high payment from Pharmaceutical Representatives is a huge lure. This will create the conflict of personal interest, even the potential conflict of interest. Like the textbook "Ethics and the Conduct of Business" J.R. Boatright write: A situation constitutes a potential conflict of interest when there is the possibility that a per will fail to fulfill an obligation to act in the interests of anther, even though the person has not yet done so.(6) So, if Pharmaceutical Representatives give doctors reward to sale their productions, it will make the conflict of interest between doctors and patients. It is no impartial for patient to use the medicine which prescribed by Pharmaceutical Representatives. And both to doctor and Pharmaceutical Representatives, this is an unmoral way to make money from patient. For anther aspect, Pharmaceutical companies spend, on average, twice as much on marketing to physicians and the public as they do on research and development. (3) In 1999, 87% of the $13.9 billion spent on drug promotions was aimed at physicians,(1) with an estimated expenditure of $8,000 to $13,000 spent per year per physician.(1) Total expenditures for drug promotion rose to $16 billion in 2000.(4) The manufactory transfer their working emphasis on sale activities substitute the developing and research. It is ridiculous that our doctor and scientists became businessman.

From the article, it can be easily noted that many Pharmaceutical Representatives lack professional knowledge, they may mislead doctors to do some mistake. And many programs lacked policies to regulate