Psychiatry Perks?

[mnms]

My uncle, who is an invasive cardiologist, gets wined and dined by drug companies and medical device manufacturers (pacemakers, stents, etc.) - all the time with weekends at cushy resorts, Lakers tickets for the whole family.

My question is if psychiatrists get such lavish treatment. My guess is probably not. What do they get? Is it just free lunches at the local TGIFs by drug companies? Or is there more? I bet those psychs doing ECT probably get some special treatment.

Anyone know?

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[Thewonderer]

psychiatrists do get wined and dined by drug companies because anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are life-long drugs, just like statins and various anti-hypertensives. however, many psych patients cannot afford their meds (if they are psychotic, they cannot hold their jobs and therefore cannot keep health care insurance and don't have money to pay meds). so overall, cardiologists probably get more perks. family med and internal med docs in general aslo get perks.....

the ones that don't get much drug company perks are radiologist, pathologist and pediatricians (most peds issues are infections and antibiotics and vaccines are one time deal or lasts a week or two.... with no statin-equivalent that can hook kids for decades, drug companies don't consider the pediatric population to be wothwhile of their research money, which is a real shame). However, radiologists make so much money ($400k+) they probably care less about what drug companies can offer them.

 

[Darth Vader]

psych drugs are probably the biggest prescription drug market out there right now, especially since the generic version of many of the psych drugs are not very popular (eg generic version of prozac has not effected sales of other ssri's). I always see drug reps for drug reps for psych drugs providing food for staff at medicine/family medicine/pediatric meetings. Psych's are wined and dined to prescribe what they prescribe.

 

[freespirit_md]

I know one privately practicing attending who will NOT see a rep unless they come with a bottle of champagne > Dom Perignon 1998.

Messed up if you ask me. But he's happy.

And get a load of this. He "asked" one of them for freakin' flying lessons for an early xmas present this year.

Needless to say, he's airborne.

Well, I guess there's a certain logic to the whole thing. I mean he does generate millions in revenue per annum for the company. And I don't think he does so unfairly -- the drugs he prescribe are clearly best of breed for the chosen indication.

But he could still buy his own booze and flying lessons. But its nice to know that there still is Santa out there for those who believe. eheh

FSM

 

[Thewonderer]

The key is to understand that all these perks are not "free." Ultimately, drug companies make money off patients so these companies can wine and dine doctors. That's not too hard to figure out.

there was a study that showed that drug reps can influence doctors' precription habits. many docs deny it but there is some influence there.