Drug Reps Get a Kick in the Nuts

I heard about this at work earlier and had to dig up the article. Needless to say it made me giggle like a schoolgirl.

As part of a new policy that experts say is one of the toughest in the nation
blocking pharmaceutical companies from influencing doctors, the Duluth-based
health system recently got rid of nearly every freebie with a drug company name
on it.

You mean those lovely drug reps can no longer bribe doctors, nurses, receptions and janitors? Say it ain't so?!?

Do you have any idea how many times patients will show up with a prescription for a 'new' drug, lately this has been Coreg CR, when there is a generic on the market that is FAR cheaper. All because this doctor got a free lunch at the Olive Garden or some shit like that. I applaud SMDC for this choice.

In all, SMDC employees have turned in more than 18,700 items, including clocks,
mugs, surgical caps, calculators, tape dispensers, and a stress-relieving
squeeze toy made to look like a red blood cell.
Administrators plan to
donate the 20 shopping carts full of stuff to a hospital in Cameroon, where
supplies of all types are desperately needed -- and most of the advertised drugs
aren't available.

Thats my favorite part, that they actually rounded up all the pens, notepads and anything else with a logo on it. I peed myself a little when I heard that. Hell I peed a little when I thought about it again. Score one for us.

Article Link - http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/13881951.html (You can read it for free if you just put in a age/zip)