Page 26 - WesternU View - Spring 2015
P. 26
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
College of Pharmacy
HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” took a jab at the
pharmaceutical industry in its February 8, 2015 episode, noting
that pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars
marketing to doctors. According to The PEW Charitable Trust,
in 2013 these firms spent $27 billion on everything from
samples to promotional mailings to print ads.
The U.S. and New Zealand are the only advanced or emerging
countries in the 34-member Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development that allow marketing directly to
consumers, which explains why we are bombarded with ads
for expensive and potentially dangerous drugs. Do these
marketing strategies work? The simple answer is yes, or the
industry wouldn’t spend like it does.
The College of Pharmacy has a fickle relationship with the
pharmaceutical industry. We work to minimize the cost of
drugs to our patients through generic substitution and lower-
cost alternatives when possible. We try to avoid therapeutic
duplication, and simplify drug regimens to reduce the risk of
Daniel Robinson, PharmD
adverse events and drug interactions. We do not accept gifts,
marketing materials, industry-sponsored meals, or industry
scholarships.
There is, however, one particular area of solidarity between
pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry; the importance of
medication adherence. Some startling facts about what
happens to every 100 new prescriptions:
• 30 to 50 never get to a pharmacy.
• 34 to 52 are not picked up from a pharmacy.
• 70 to 75 are not taken properly.
• 80 to 85 are not refilled as prescribed.
An important challenge for any provider is determining the
level to which the patient has adhered to the treatment plan.
The reasons for non-adherence are complex, and beyond the
scope of this message. One thing is certain: Adherence can be
improved when providers work in concert to promote
collaborative, patient-centered care.
24 Western University of Health Sciences
College of Pharmacy
HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” took a jab at the
pharmaceutical industry in its February 8, 2015 episode, noting
that pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars
marketing to doctors. According to The PEW Charitable Trust,
in 2013 these firms spent $27 billion on everything from
samples to promotional mailings to print ads.
The U.S. and New Zealand are the only advanced or emerging
countries in the 34-member Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development that allow marketing directly to
consumers, which explains why we are bombarded with ads
for expensive and potentially dangerous drugs. Do these
marketing strategies work? The simple answer is yes, or the
industry wouldn’t spend like it does.
The College of Pharmacy has a fickle relationship with the
pharmaceutical industry. We work to minimize the cost of
drugs to our patients through generic substitution and lower-
cost alternatives when possible. We try to avoid therapeutic
duplication, and simplify drug regimens to reduce the risk of
Daniel Robinson, PharmD
adverse events and drug interactions. We do not accept gifts,
marketing materials, industry-sponsored meals, or industry
scholarships.
There is, however, one particular area of solidarity between
pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry; the importance of
medication adherence. Some startling facts about what
happens to every 100 new prescriptions:
• 30 to 50 never get to a pharmacy.
• 34 to 52 are not picked up from a pharmacy.
• 70 to 75 are not taken properly.
• 80 to 85 are not refilled as prescribed.
An important challenge for any provider is determining the
level to which the patient has adhered to the treatment plan.
The reasons for non-adherence are complex, and beyond the
scope of this message. One thing is certain: Adherence can be
improved when providers work in concert to promote
collaborative, patient-centered care.
24 Western University of Health Sciences