Friday, January 30, 2009

50 Ways to Leave Big Pharma

Check out this new song by Adriane Fugh-Berman, physician extraordinaire and possibly the next American Idol. Courtesy of Pharmed Out and PharmaGossip, and apologies to Paul Simon.


The problem’s over-promoted meds, she said to me
You know we’ve got to treat our patients carefully
I'd like to help you to become pharma- free
There must be fifty ways to leave drug companies

She said it isn’t education reps provide
And what they know about you they’re unlikely to confide
What they want to do is to control what you prescribe
There must be fifty ways to leave drug companies
Fifty ways to leave drug companies


Have the reps take a hike, Mike
Buy your own pen, Jen
You don't need a free meal, Neil
Just get yourself free
Throw the samples away, Kay
You don't have to use new drugs
Pay your own CME, Lee
And get yourself free

Oooh, Have the reps take a hike, Mike
Buy your own pen, Jen
You don't need a free meal, Neil
Just listen to me
Throw the samples away, Kay
You don't have to use new drugs
Pay your own CME, Lee
And get yourself free

She said it grieves me so that you’re a KOL
Masking marketing as education doesn’t serve us well
I said I resent that but would you please explain
About the fifty ways

She said we owe it to our own integrity
Together we can throw industry out of CME
And then she pinched me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to leave drug companies
Fifty ways to leave drug companies

Have the reps take a hike, Mike
Buy your own pen, Jen
You don't need a free meal, Neil
Just get yourself free
Throw the samples away, Kay
You don't have to use new drugs
Pay your own CME, Lee
And get yourself free

Oooh, Have the reps take a hike, Mike
Buy your own pen, Jen
You don't need a free meal, Neil
Just listen to me
Throw the samples away, Kay
You don't have to use new drugs
Pay your own CME, Lee
And get yourself free


3 comments:

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Have to agree with this. I use the samples primarily to help my patients who can't afford drugs. I can live without the gifts and food.

None of them invent new, useful drugs now. The focus is on repackaging older drugs as "XR" forms, or other useless crap.

Anonymous said...

I love it! Nice way to end the week. Have you read the Ben Wallace piece in Rolling Stone re Lilly and Zyprexa?

It's a good read. Reinforces my disgust with that company, first with Prozac, then with Zyprexa, and now with Cymbalta.

Evil thrives when good men stay silent.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Grumpy,

When it comes to some medications, specifically the stimulants, it's the "repackaging" of old, well-studied medications that has provided a tremendous boon to efficacy. Side effects are lessened. Compliance and adherence improve.

No doc should be prescribing Ritalin or Adderall when better alternatives exists. Yet, they do.. Every day.