Here's a blog that Shelley discovered and that I've been meaning to mention for a week now: Drug Rep Toys.
Yep, it's a blog whose purpose is to review and rate the various bits of swag that drug reps hand out to us doctors in the hopes that (I guess) we'll prescribe or use their products. It's mostly pens and lights, though. He's missing some of the--shall we say?--over the top toys. For example, remember this post from long ago?
Yes! It's the very first time our intrepid blog mascot appeared, way back in December 2004, when I posted a picture of the stuffed EneMan doll and the multiple EneMan Christmas ornaments. One has to wonder what Nathan would think of the various EneMan chotchkies that exist, and perhaps I should e-mail him a few pictures.
However, I might have to be careful. The latest EneMan photo is, I'm afraid, rather disturbing. No, it's very disturbing. In fact, I'd have to say that it probably isn't work-safe, which is why I'm posting it on the weekend. Really. You've been warned.
Don't click on the link to see what's below the fold if you're easily offended or have a weak constitution.
Seriously.
I'm not joking.
I won't be responsible for any heart attacks or strokes that occur as a result of viewing the image below.
Why are you still reading this?
I'm warning you: Don't click on the link (or, if you accessed this article directly from a newsfeed or other source, don't scroll down)!
Why are you still scrolling?
I warned you the image is highly disturbing!
I won't be held responsible for any emotional trauma you may have suffered from viewing EneMan in the buff.
Went to do an outreach clinic one time in a FP office.
Everything, everything, everything was covered with Drug Co. promotional logos.
Even the kleenex boxes and T.P. holder in the bathroom.
Every mirror, every stethescope, every BP cuff, every mug, pen, notepad, desktop item etc. etc. etc.
As I'm sitting in the bathroom wiping with "WONDERDRUG" (tm) T.P., I'm thinking "How confident are patients here that the MD has their interests at heart?"
Naked posing Eneman cannot be more disturbing that the thought that your doc can't wipe his nose without getting free kleenex from a drug rep.
Somewhere, a marketing trainee is furiously taking notes.
Ok, so now the five year old is totaly keen on EneMan. Even after I tried to explain the concept of enemas. In fact, I think the explanation may have made him that much cooler.
For my part, I am being plauged with a vision of EneMan dancing with the The Colon, a guy in a colon costume we saw at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). To be sure, he was not the only internal organ there that day, just the (then) three year old's favorite, for obvious reasons. Worse, I have Sting's We'll Be Together, Tonight, running through my head. . .
As always, thanks for sharing.
This, of course, is February's photo from the EneMan calendar. Next month EneMan is [deleted by Orac; no spoilers for next month, please.].
As a medical student, I try to avoid pharm junk, but being on the receiving end of the patient is what medical students do. I couldn't resist this one.
On another note, I'm sick today so I was watching TV (which I also never do). There was a Vytorin commercial on. I once accepted a Vytorin notepad, and when the logo came up I could practically feel the thick, shiny blood-red ink that they used on the pad. Scary.
DuWayne,
I loved how you described your child's fixation on body function. I have a video of my second child explaining excitingly how he pooped in the potty, complete with a pantomime recap (clothing kept on) when he was about that age (he is a too cool 16 year old now.
I plan on making a compilation DVD (or whatever it is in ten or so years) for his future bride. Just so she knows what she is getting into. :)
meh, I'm just not troubled by the toys. How can WonderDrug branded TP make you want to buy WonderDrug? It can make the Doc's aware of the drug, and so they might prescribe it if the data warrants it for you, but surely they wouldn't if the data didn't?
If my Doc had WonderDrug branded TP I'd just think he was being fiscally responsible and lowering his overhead by accepting gifts from the drug companies :)
i'm on the patient end of this conversation. i do believe that some drs are influenced on some level by this & by drug reps pushing all the time. when i go to my dr's clinic (a large multi-dr place) drug reps are in and out by the dozens all day long. (it takes a full day to actually get seen, regardless of when your appt is for, so i see 'em come & go.)
my dr, who i love & trust and who gives me excellent care, changed up my prevacid from the capusle that worked just fine and cost me $.50 copay to a 'nifty' dissolve-on-your-tongue variety of the same med. my copay jumped to $3.00. now why change me up to the "new and improved" version of a med that is totally the same unless influenced by a drug rep?
my complaining about a $3.00 copay might not seem like much, but i live on $623 a month and my med copays come to almost $40 per month mostly because i'm on a bunch of "brand new" drugs.
i know that if i went into a dr's office and saw a room full of branded everything i don't think s/he'd be trying to cut down on overhead, i'd automatically question his/her medication choices for me. when i saw that once, i actually have asked one doc, "are you certain is this the best thing for my condition or just the newest most expensive thing" while giving an obvious glance around the room.
i'm not anti-pharma, without meds, i'd be dead by now. i'm just extremely skeptical about person's ability to not be influenced by a rainstorm of freebies, which i've read go far beyond the pens and gadget level.
Whaddya know, it seems it's Enema Joke Sunday:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2007/02/sleeping_with_t_1.html
On Ubiquitous Marketing Abnormalities
My grasp of economics isn't stellar, but I doubt think a $3.00 co-pay pays for dozens of in-person salepersons every day. Not in today's dollars.
Without subsidies on the treatment side, the pimping of Dr offices might subside.
Don't know that there is a better solution to humane health care.
My favorite was a "Time for Viagara" clock I saw once! In addition to being weird (apparently, any time was time for Viagara) it was beautiful - silver and light blue adonized aluminum with eerie blue numerals...
Was it "the Colon?" or Polyp-man?
I have distinct memories of Polyp-man running around a sales meeting about 5 - 6 years ago.
Disturbing.
Really Disturbing.
As someone that works in the pharmaceutical marketing/promotion industry, it disheartenes me to see the amount of junky/chatzky pharma giveaways that are given out. I know what I just said might sound weird being pharma industry and all... But, anyone can slap on a logo on a stock customizable pen.
There are giveaways that serve a better purpose beyond branding -- pt. education, pt. compliance, physcian aids and physcian tools to mention a few. I wish pharma companies with quit spending their money on useless branded items and spend that budget toward the educational pieces.