Paid Prescriptions

SHABNAM MINWALLA reports in Times of India...

How does a doctor decide which drugs to prescribe to his patients? If an ongoing study is any indication, the capsules and creams may be chosen less for their curative powers than their lucrative side-effects.
For, in the profit-oriented world of pharmaceuticals, doctors are routinely wooed with gifts ranging from mobile phones to sponsored weddings. These details emerged from a study on the ‘Promotional Practices of Pharmaceutical Firms in India’, conducted by the Forum for Medical Ethics in collaboration with the Drug Controller General of India and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

We are not shocked, are we ? It is wide open fact that even the small time doctors are wooed by pharmaceutical companies by gifts like pens, watches, diaries and other stuffs depending upon numbe of patients (customers). Another fact also known is that Doctors prescriber unnecessary tests to get the cuts from the labs. Moreover, the new hike in fees for medical colleges ensures that meritious medical aspirant is stopped and itches a smooth path for undeserving rich candidates who will join these medical markets. But for us CAS Conditional Access System for television is more important that CQHA Conditional Quality Healthcare Access. Relax, we are democrazy.