Pathanamthitta (Kerala): In the light of the ongoing criticisms of doctor-pharma nexus, a private hospital in Kozhencherry, has barred medical representatives from meeting its doctors.
“My hospital has become among the first hospitals to bar pharma representative visits,” Dr Ashley Mulamoottil, medical director and chief surgeon, Mulamoottil Eye Hospital and Research Centre, wrote on Facebook on January 28.
Dr Ashley Mulamoottil
“The ethics committee of the hospital decided unanimously to disallow pharma visits to doctors in light of the ongoing criticisms of doctor-pharma nexus,” according to Dr Mulamoottil, who has more than 3 lakh followers on Facebook.
“We do not know if this is a step in the right direction or not, but this is what people seem to want,” Dr Mulamoottil further said, adding, “How this will prevent a nexus (if there was one) is beyond me… after all, we live in the era of telephones, mobiles and internet.”
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Why u want make these kind public stunts ffor ur markieting. u r trying show all others that ur fellow fraternity members are stained. No doc are supposed to adverstise. look at all ur hoarding in the way to kozencherry. I think u r trying propavate wrong ideas into peoples mind and promote ur hospital by getting a news….shame o u….
Nice business strategy, Dr Mulamoottil. Achieving so many targets with just one move.
Now the doctors in your hospital will have to write the brand that you decide. Make other doctors and hospitals appear villian. Project yourself as a national hero with paid news.
Banning medical representatives is not a new concept. Many hospital managements who want to control the brand sold in their hospital pharmacies practice that…..
Nothing new about it,in Christian Fellowship Hospital Oddanchatram Doctors neither meet Reps,nor get any events sponsored by drug cos.And they are the lowest paid doctors in India- indeed unsung heroes.
Doctor pharma nexus is same as pharma-pharmacist or pharma-management nexus. In my opinion, one of the nexus is always present in any hospital of our country. In our place, most of the private hospitals or even in the private medical college,the representatives of different pharmaceutical companies first meet the superintendent or managing director many times for keeping their drugs in the pharmacy.They meet doctors later after satisfying the higher authorities.The prescriptions are freely substituted by the pharmacist. Only doctors running individual clinics can always have their rules.The positive result of no entry to pharma company representatives is that the doctors in hospital can devote more time in patient care.In India, nobody need to meet the doctor in hospital to get favour. Doctor pharma nexus is very much possible out side hospital Eg. in a hotel.
I think if the commitment is there, no need to bar representatives. Just donot fall prey to the greed which is associated with such nexus. There is a need to adopt a universal formulary and generic drugs only to be prescribed. But some stringent checks need to be there on quality and cost of each category of drug. One drug from one co. costing Rs 4.00 where the same composition from another Co. is available for > Rs 400.00. (Just an example, don’t want to name any co. or drug in particular. So as doctor community we have to first come to the same platform and board the same train… But any way courageous step.
Whats new on …? Today in kolkata many of new private hospitals is there , where medical reps r not allowed but in some of cases company investing on the purchase executive of that particulr hospital, its just like tender given by govt hospitals….