Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 26, 2012, at 9:47:57
In reply to Re: make a med worth complying with!, posted by bleauberry on February 26, 2012, at 7:12:09
>the whole thing is a for-profit business in most cases, and one has to consider..... who is paying who? As the paying customer, and a rather expensive service I'm buying, I expect great customer service....
Good point, but it's a bit different in most other countries. For example in England, few patients see a private psychiatrist. Most see psychiatrists on the National Health Service and pay nothing (but we have quite high taxes). The relationship with pdocs is therefore different. Most pdocs are salaried employees of the NHS. Unfortunately, the majority have far too many patients to spend a lot of time with each one. Psychiatry does not seem to be a priority within our health service.
The relationship with drug companies is also different. Pdocs do not get samples, and expensive 'gifts' are banned. They are lucky to get a Zyprexa pen these days! The NHS dictates which drugs are appropriate for first-line prescribing. Doctors can choose to ignore guidelines if they wish. I suppose they might get a slapped wrist but that's about it!
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1011442
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120221/msgs/1011629.html