Most doctors do wonderful things. They take care of their patients and work very hard. I’m married to a fantastic doctor, so I know they exist. However, having spent 15 years as a pharmaceutical representative, I saw some scary things out there. It’s important to keep in mind that someone had to graduate last in their class. Here is a list of things that I actually saw occur in doctors’ offices while I was in the field.
- Illegal drug use in doctor’s office – There was one office where the receptionist actually had her boyfriend shoot something (I assume heroine) into her arm while I talked to her through the glass partition that separated the waiting room from the doctor’s area. The reaction she got from the medication made it clear it was some form of illegal substance. The doctor walked right by and had no reaction.
- Doctors popping pills – There was one doctor I called on who would take Prozac while he chatted, bragging, “I take these things to lose weight.” This same guy was always popping some form of pill, usually for an off-label use.
- Doctors committing fraud – Another doctor in my territory was arrested for charging the government for testing blood that he never actually tested.
- Doctors not using best medications to save money – I called on a doctor who once told me that he would not prescribe a drug that he thought he was good for his patients because, as he put it, “that comes out of my budget . . . if they go to the ER, someone else pays for it.” He had no problem telling me that he didn’t mind if his patients suffered if it meant he could make a few more bucks from the HMO.
- Doctors getting paid by pharmaceutical companies – It is not unusual for a doctor to get paid to speak for certain pharmaceutical companies. I remember calling on a particular doctor who made it very clear that he not only spoke for a particular company but also had a great deal of stock in that company. Because of this relationship, he had no intention of using competitive products even if they were better.
The good news is that the Internet allows for patients investigate issues with their doctors. According to the article, How To Find Out if Your Doctor and Drugmakers Are In A Relationship, “The nonprofit investigative journalism outfit ProPublica has a tool you can use to see how much money your doctor has received from drug companies.” To find out if your doctor is profiting from drug companies, click here to go to the ProPublica site.
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Hi,
I am so sorry to hear about your experience. You seem to have done all of the right things by contacting the police and legal council. You might consider contacting the medical board to see what they advise.