[iceskater]

Let the buyer beware. I don't feel sorry for people who are tricked into demanding expensive and unnecessary drugs from their doctors. I blame them, and their doctors for being patsy's. OTOH, if you don't know what drugs are out there, what protection do YOU have from unscrupulous doctors who prescribe drugs (regardless of their benefit to you) from companies they've invested in?

The practice you describe is illegal under the Stark rules. Even I, as an administrator - not a clinician - am not allowed to invest in medically related companies.

Or, just prescribe what was the norm when they were in medical school umpteen years ago.

This is more of an issue. The explosion of information in the medical field is incredible. It's extremely difficult for a person to keep up with all the changes. This is why you as a healthcare consumer have to take responsibility for your own health. Just as you now have to take more responsibility for your financial life, you should take more responsibility for you health.

[Black Agnes]

I fail to believe that NO MD's own ANY pharma company stocks. Who monitors what stocks MD's own?

[Zansman]

The practice you describe is illegal under the Stark rules. Even I, as an administrator - not a clinician - am not allowed to invest in medically related companies.

You are joking about this , right? If you are trying to say it is illegal for a doctor or any medical professional to own stock in medical/pharmaceutical companies, you SERIOUSLY need to do some better research.

Practically every doctor I know (which as a pharma rep is a considerable number) has a significant percentage of their portfolios in these stocks.

If you mean it is UNETHICAL for a physician to prescribe a product simply because he/she owns that company's stock, I agree completely.