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Comment by programmertote | Hacker News Reader

My wife is a resident. She used to intern at PCP clinics and was invited by her supervisor (a physician) to one of the dinners hosted by pharma companies (Sanofi, if I remember correctly). The dinner was a feast. The doc invited everyone in her clinic and their immediate family members. We had Shirmps, Lobster, Wagyu beef (I know it's a redundant word, but that's how it's known in the US), lamb to our fill. Sanofi rep footed the bill (and asked us to sign our names on a sheet when we arrived).

Experiencing that dinner and seeing my host family mom (a practicing psychiatrist in the US for a private psychiatry hospital) getting food every week from pharma reps, makes me feel disgusted about the connection between doctors and pharma companies in the US.

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I have MDs in the family too, their continuing education classes are sponsored (free) and with feasts provided as well.

Lawyers have to pay for our required continuing education classes. Sponsored courses and retreats are clearly a conflict of interest for MDs.

Also, as lawyer, I remain shocked and saddened to see how US medical providers have abandoned patient privacy in the wake of the US opioid crisis. Patients prescribed any controlled substance are now put on registers that almost any state actor (or local police) can review at will.

US MDs have thrown their patients under the bus because they (or their colleagues) were (lazily/blindly/greedily) writing too many opioid prescriptions.

How are doctors responsible for laws passed by state legislators (who tend to be lawyers) requiring doctors to use PDMPs?

Ask the AMA. Docs should have stood fast or at least forced more patient privacy protection. As it is, some health providers require patients to sign broad privacy waivers before issuing prescriptions for controlled substances (including ADHD meds).

My GP didn't even think it was an issue -- here sign this. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I refused and didn't get the meds I needed -- resulting in harm to put it mildly. I am lucky that I am not suicidal because it got pretty dark for me, after a few weeks I had to crawl back to get the meds I need.

The doc invited everyone in her clinic and their immediate family members.

Wow. That's a violation and could get the company the smack-down. No way that family members should be included, even if they pay for their own meal.

"The Code provides that it is not appropriate to include a spouse or guest at a meal in connection with an informational presentation, regardless of who pays for their meal, unless the spouse or guest would independently qualify as a healthcare professional for whom the informational presentation is appropriate."

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