I had a newly engaged, recent college graduate friend who was a hemophiliac and got a tainted blood transfusion, die as a result of AIDS, which that nasty elf, Anthony Fauci had a hand in prolonging. The missed his dad’s call NOT to get the tainted blood transfusion by minutes. Anything anyone does that makes worse, makes money from or prolongs anyone’s suffering while gaining from their heartache needs to be … well, I dare not type it.
Read THE REAL ANTHONY FAUCI by RFK, Jr. Just the PROLOGUE will have you seething. SO much we didn’t know… SO much needless pain and suffering for orphans, gays, and people like my friend.
Don’t doctors also receive kickbacks or other incentives (like trips) for chemo drugs, implant devices, statins, etc? This is a very ubiquitous problem in the medical industry. (It is sn industry, sadly)
It’s so odd to me. In so many areas of business and life, one is expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, see now for instance what a news frenzy is related to who Supreme Court members may or may not be friends with. Yet these doctors have no qualms about taking money from drug companies?? Do they not understand how much damage they’re doing to themselves, and our whole profession?
I’m still upset the AAP proudly features sponsorships with vaccine companies. Do you know how many parents refuse to believe guidance about childhood shots (I mean pre-Covid, just DTaP and so forth) because they won’t trust advice from institutions paid by pharma? These big shot doctors complained for years about vax hesitancy, but won’t even take the minor step of saying they won’t take pharma money - it would’ve been such a helpful stance!
Anyway, y’all might get a kick out of this: before the thrombosis docs were tainted by corruption, America’s leading doctors were bloodletting everyone! And blamed it all on coffee… maybe now Starbucks is paying them to cover it all up? ; )
These payments are a disgrace, and pose a clear risk of prescribing that is NOT in line with the patient's interests. But there are a couple more incentives that may be more powerful still: One is the buy-and-bill system (known as Part B in Medicare and adopted by most commercial insurers) which bases the payment a doctor or clinic gets for injections/infusions on the price of the drug.
The other, even bigger incentive is the 340B Program. This was set up to provide funding for safety-net hospitals and underfunded services for high-need patients. It allows them to buy expensive drugs at discount prices -- and use the difference to fund services at the hospital or clinic. Here is how it plays out in hemophilia centers: https://www.cascadehc.org/about-us/what-is-340b/
Both these programs exert a powerful pressure on doctors to use the most expensive (and often the most invasive) treatment available. It's difficult to speak against 340B, because so many cash-strapped institutions view it as a lifeline -- and because the main public critics are drug companies which resent having to lower their prices for anyone.
Lately there have been exposes of health systems that used 340B money from "safety-net" clinics to fund new facilities in wealthier areas. That's awful -- but the program itself is flawed from the start. It ties some clinics' survival to prescribing the most expensive drug possible, making a price-cut or a cheaper new treatment a disaster rather than good news. Part B puts them in a similar vise.
Well dah? This is the model for much of big pharma and the medical community. Passing out drugs and vaccines like candy with absolutely no trials or studies to back up their usage. And then a little payola to grease the process. Who loses? It's always the patients. $290K...what a crock.
You guys call this honest, forthright and efficient medical care? I am supposed to blindly trust this crap? Since few doctors question anything other than how big of a boat they can afford, we have to assume most couldn't care less about practicing real medicine where patients actually get well and never have to see the doctor again. That's true healing.
Thank you for writing about this. It's rather amazing that there are no conflict of interest guidelines in medicine to prevent these types of situations from happening. It would be a scandal in other industries if buyers were getting personal payments from their suppliers.
just so you have an idea of how much higher the profit margins for hemophilia drugs are, one of the most popular hemophilia drugs, used for treating factor VIII deficiencies (hemophilia A) and von Willebrand disease, DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) is prescribed millions of times a year....
for dogs who pee on the rug --- well, pee to much anyway (polyuria).
Researcher payments are small potatoes. Real place for reform is 340B program. Also copay coupons - which have the effect of silencing patient demands for lower out of pocket costs.
The older docs still go by clinical end points to adjust factor dosage. Newer hemophilia docs are industry funded, do pharmacokinetic studies and are more likely to believe in titrating to a certain factor level. So there is a generational divide in the field.
With the advent of gene based therapies, it will be fascinating to see how the field evolves - for researchers, industry and patients.
First, Thank you for Exposing with documentations that can be traced. Very few providers DARE to show the "DARK SIDE OF MEDICINE" ----greed.
When I was practicing, I too noted many clinics abuse our medical care system, especially the less educated , lower income groups with either non insurance (illegals) etc I had a child who had a simple viral infection and I prescribe NOTHING ----no antibiotic and send her home. The owner of the clinic was also an MD but was not present. His wife was and runs pretty much the show. Next thing I know was after seeing my other patients, I realized that this child was send for Xray.!!! The order came from the owner's wife. I documented and complain and yes you guess correctly to yours truly.
So much of abuse for Xrays, Echocard, ECGs lists goes on........we now have a bunch of providers just looking at $$$ and not the patients welfare.
Thank you for speaking and exposing
The next thing is for us as consumers to be knowledgeable and ask questions. One cannot ask questions if one is ignorant of what is going on.
It's incredibly sad to see how products get put out without proper testing. Although I'm not sure I understand where you're coming from. Previously, you've talked about how Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies have the money to pay for RCTs of their products. Yet recently you spoke about not wanting to have companies involved in alcohol production funding studies about the benefits of alcohol.
So should pharma companies fund studies of their products but alcohol companies shouldn't? Personally I think it's a good idea to have no funding from the companies involved but I do wonder about your stance on this when I see somewhat conflicting messages. Probably not intentional on your part though.
Reminds me of when the pain docs got all that pharma $ to prescribe opioids. That did some damage I think. 🤔
I had a newly engaged, recent college graduate friend who was a hemophiliac and got a tainted blood transfusion, die as a result of AIDS, which that nasty elf, Anthony Fauci had a hand in prolonging. The missed his dad’s call NOT to get the tainted blood transfusion by minutes. Anything anyone does that makes worse, makes money from or prolongs anyone’s suffering while gaining from their heartache needs to be … well, I dare not type it.
Read THE REAL ANTHONY FAUCI by RFK, Jr. Just the PROLOGUE will have you seething. SO much we didn’t know… SO much needless pain and suffering for orphans, gays, and people like my friend.
Don’t doctors also receive kickbacks or other incentives (like trips) for chemo drugs, implant devices, statins, etc? This is a very ubiquitous problem in the medical industry. (It is sn industry, sadly)
soooooo... when will you be taking up that invite from RFK Jr to discuss your so called 'debunking'
It’s so odd to me. In so many areas of business and life, one is expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, see now for instance what a news frenzy is related to who Supreme Court members may or may not be friends with. Yet these doctors have no qualms about taking money from drug companies?? Do they not understand how much damage they’re doing to themselves, and our whole profession?
I’m still upset the AAP proudly features sponsorships with vaccine companies. Do you know how many parents refuse to believe guidance about childhood shots (I mean pre-Covid, just DTaP and so forth) because they won’t trust advice from institutions paid by pharma? These big shot doctors complained for years about vax hesitancy, but won’t even take the minor step of saying they won’t take pharma money - it would’ve been such a helpful stance!
Anyway, y’all might get a kick out of this: before the thrombosis docs were tainted by corruption, America’s leading doctors were bloodletting everyone! And blamed it all on coffee… maybe now Starbucks is paying them to cover it all up? ; )
https://gaty.substack.com/p/americas-mental-health-crisis-does
These payments are a disgrace, and pose a clear risk of prescribing that is NOT in line with the patient's interests. But there are a couple more incentives that may be more powerful still: One is the buy-and-bill system (known as Part B in Medicare and adopted by most commercial insurers) which bases the payment a doctor or clinic gets for injections/infusions on the price of the drug.
The other, even bigger incentive is the 340B Program. This was set up to provide funding for safety-net hospitals and underfunded services for high-need patients. It allows them to buy expensive drugs at discount prices -- and use the difference to fund services at the hospital or clinic. Here is how it plays out in hemophilia centers: https://www.cascadehc.org/about-us/what-is-340b/
Both these programs exert a powerful pressure on doctors to use the most expensive (and often the most invasive) treatment available. It's difficult to speak against 340B, because so many cash-strapped institutions view it as a lifeline -- and because the main public critics are drug companies which resent having to lower their prices for anyone.
Lately there have been exposes of health systems that used 340B money from "safety-net" clinics to fund new facilities in wealthier areas. That's awful -- but the program itself is flawed from the start. It ties some clinics' survival to prescribing the most expensive drug possible, making a price-cut or a cheaper new treatment a disaster rather than good news. Part B puts them in a similar vise.
Well dah? This is the model for much of big pharma and the medical community. Passing out drugs and vaccines like candy with absolutely no trials or studies to back up their usage. And then a little payola to grease the process. Who loses? It's always the patients. $290K...what a crock.
You guys call this honest, forthright and efficient medical care? I am supposed to blindly trust this crap? Since few doctors question anything other than how big of a boat they can afford, we have to assume most couldn't care less about practicing real medicine where patients actually get well and never have to see the doctor again. That's true healing.
Thank you for writing about this. It's rather amazing that there are no conflict of interest guidelines in medicine to prevent these types of situations from happening. It would be a scandal in other industries if buyers were getting personal payments from their suppliers.
It’s no wonder every IM resident wants to go into heme/onc fellowship.
.
Meanwhile ...
The Vaccinated
Are Starting To Realize
That Once They Get Sick
They Are Not Going To Get Better.
The Freak-Out Has Begun.
.
just so you have an idea of how much higher the profit margins for hemophilia drugs are, one of the most popular hemophilia drugs, used for treating factor VIII deficiencies (hemophilia A) and von Willebrand disease, DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) is prescribed millions of times a year....
for dogs who pee on the rug --- well, pee to much anyway (polyuria).
https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/learning-center/professional-monographs/desmopressin-acetate-for-veterinary-use.html#:~:text=Desmopressin%20acetate%20is%20the%20treatment,of%20a%20water%20deprivation%20test.
Researcher payments are small potatoes. Real place for reform is 340B program. Also copay coupons - which have the effect of silencing patient demands for lower out of pocket costs.
The older docs still go by clinical end points to adjust factor dosage. Newer hemophilia docs are industry funded, do pharmacokinetic studies and are more likely to believe in titrating to a certain factor level. So there is a generational divide in the field.
With the advent of gene based therapies, it will be fascinating to see how the field evolves - for researchers, industry and patients.
Dr Vinay Prasad.
First, Thank you for Exposing with documentations that can be traced. Very few providers DARE to show the "DARK SIDE OF MEDICINE" ----greed.
When I was practicing, I too noted many clinics abuse our medical care system, especially the less educated , lower income groups with either non insurance (illegals) etc I had a child who had a simple viral infection and I prescribe NOTHING ----no antibiotic and send her home. The owner of the clinic was also an MD but was not present. His wife was and runs pretty much the show. Next thing I know was after seeing my other patients, I realized that this child was send for Xray.!!! The order came from the owner's wife. I documented and complain and yes you guess correctly to yours truly.
So much of abuse for Xrays, Echocard, ECGs lists goes on........we now have a bunch of providers just looking at $$$ and not the patients welfare.
Thank you for speaking and exposing
The next thing is for us as consumers to be knowledgeable and ask questions. One cannot ask questions if one is ignorant of what is going on.
Outrageously expensive. When do the patents expire?
It's incredibly sad to see how products get put out without proper testing. Although I'm not sure I understand where you're coming from. Previously, you've talked about how Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies have the money to pay for RCTs of their products. Yet recently you spoke about not wanting to have companies involved in alcohol production funding studies about the benefits of alcohol.
So should pharma companies fund studies of their products but alcohol companies shouldn't? Personally I think it's a good idea to have no funding from the companies involved but I do wonder about your stance on this when I see somewhat conflicting messages. Probably not intentional on your part though.