Responding to Comment on “The FDA Betrays Its Mandate”

Gregory—

Sorry I’ve been so slow in responding; I was traveling last week. I completely agree that doctors should not be making a profit on anemia injections or cancer drugs that they deliver in their offices. They should, of course, be paid for their time and the skill involved in administering the injection or drug. But they should not be making a profit on the product itself—inevitably that creates a potential conflict of interest (even if it is subconscious) when a doctor decides what drug to prescribe.

The real problem is that drugmakers are willing to give doctors discounts which then let doctors bill insurers at the full rate and pocket the “discount.”In the 19^th century we learned about the problems associated with letting doctors become pharmacists—it’s ironic that we have to learn the same lesson all over again.