Posted by yxibow on November 21, 2006, at 17:43:36
In reply to Re: Do the drug companies know their meds suck?? » stargazer, posted by Phillipa on November 21, 2006, at 17:10:01
> No there as never been a drug rep beating down my door asking me if their meds work. So good quesion. How do they really know? No mailouts you'd think a pharmacy could provide names and meds taken or the docs too. Love Phillipa
Its known as "Phase IV" or after approval data.
Data is gathered by the FDA in its adverse reporting program from both physicians and patients. There is a program, not perfect, mandated by the FDA called The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act (FDAMA) of 1997.
( http://www.fda.gov/cber/pstmrkt/pstmrkt.htm )
This all-for-one concept that all drugs "suck" is just as much inane of some of the overhype that drug companies make in their advertisements. Its a continuum -- and certain medications may only have a 30% response rate. Heck, heroic chemotherapy trials may have a 10% response rate or less.One reason I think we get into these debates is a significant number of people are on here because their medications are not working for them. Its not a criticism of people here -- but will always be human nature that the loudest criticisms naturally come from those who are suffering (and politically, those who have certain agendas -- which I am not trying to compare to patients here, I'm more comparing to other online sites, so I'm not attempting to insult people's intelligences on this board by any means). Consequently, a view is formed that medications are all wrong and they all "suck." What about the thousands if not millions of people across the world who take medications and are lucky enough that they only have to take one or two a day, and they do "work," however you define "work."
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:703230
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061117/msgs/705920.html