Long Range Plan

1. Do you agree that mining physician data should be illegal? Why or why not?

Data mining should be illegal for the pharmaceutical companies to gather data for prescriptions to doctors. In some cases, data mining has generated numerous law suits and wrongful deaths. It is based solely on the ethic principle, especially when some drugs are not FDA approved. Public officials, professional societies and physicians have called for stricter regulation of the physician-sales representative relations. There were reports where physicians were provided gifts and even extra payment during the meeting sessions. Even worse is when the sales agencies sell the consumer's personal contact information to other similar agencies. Anything that influences the physician to prescribe a particular drug should be illegal, if not based on a FDA approved drug. This only provides more opportunity for corruption for physicians to receive "cut backs" for their efforts to sell a particular drug of choice.

2. As a patient how do you feel about pharmaceutical companies mining your doctor's data?

Given the high costs of their detailing efforts, drug companies are eager to employ the most efficient ways to identify physicians who might be persuaded to prescribe their drugs. From the patient's perspective, this is truly a violation of privacy and it has not been proven that the pharmaceutical companies are not using your personal information for other illegal means to increase sales and productivity. Mining is acceptable when used to inform health care research and that only. Some of the recalled drugs in the past were prescribed by many doctors due to the efforts of influence by the pharmaceutical companies. Also, these actions increase the possibility of physicians prescribing more expensive drugs to patients versus the less expensive or generic brands, which are both effective. Increases in health care cost are affected by these prescribing decisions.

3. As an employee one of the pharmaceutical companies how do you feel about mining physician data?

While concerns about patient confidentiality have been voiced about data mining, data mining companies are required to strip their records of information that can identify patients. It is mandated and enforced by HIPAA (Orentlicher, 2010). Even as an employee, data mining of physicians for monetary gain and selling the information to other organization should be considered illegal. The possibility of an unethical dilemma is highly-likely for employees who are forced to disclose personal information to third parties by upper management. This is problematic not only for the patient's well-being but also for society's health care spending as well. The inadequate treatment may also result in the need for costly, in-patient treatment at a hospital. As usual,