Medicine not Marketing
AM I A PHARMA JUNKIE?

Worried that you might be addicted? Do the quiz and find out now...


1. A local drug representative invites you to an a 14 night, all expenses paid, educational visit to the "International Oesteoclast Friendship Organisation Conference" in Mauritius. What do you do?
A. Accept but say that this will in no way impact on your future prescribing habits. You are willing to lecture (for a fee from the company) on the topic on your return, however.
B. Accept stating that one of your best friends from school was an oesteoclast, that believe everybody should be on an biphosphate and can your husband come to (he is virtually a doctor by pharma standards as he had immunisations as a child)
C. Decline and start frothing at the mouth about inappropriate hospitality, start quoting the large NNTS for Bisphosphonates and finish by asking if you will be travelling by "junket jet"
D. Decline feeling that this is not entirely appropriate but are rather flattered that they asked. You will the see the rep in the future.


2. You read a story in the BMJ that research into illness of the developing world (that kill many millions of people prematurely) receive a fraction of the research money compared to that spent on new antihistamines or new NSAID.
A. Feel sympathy for 5 minutes. Then forget and continue as you are doing.
B. Ignore the issue and reflect that what goes on in other countries is not your problem. If the drug companies want to research new antihistamines then so be it.
C. Rant and rave at your colleagues about the injustices of the world. Later you overhear someone asking is "she all there?"
D. Laugh at the developing world's inability to help itself and buying more shares in the company with the new hayfever treatment.


3. A drug company offer to conduct an "audit" using an "independent company" to convert your patients from the older "mim-ben" to "neo min-ben" which is slightly faster acting and 2p cheaper a month.
A. Accept. As you don't really care.
B. Accept. As this is an independent audit company and sounds like a good idea.
C. Decline. Realise that the "mim-ben" is shortly coming off patent and any saving from "neo min-ben" would be minimal and in the short term only. Question in fact how independent is this "audit company"?
D. Decline. Incandescent that this merely represents a marketing ploy to stop the NHS getting the benefit of generic "min-ben" and write a diatribe of a compliant to the ABPI.


4. Your lunch is provided daily by drug companies. One of your admin staff asks if you could bring him back a sandwich.
A. Agree. It's only a sandwich and they throw the food out anyway. The reps won't mind.
B. Decline. Saying that this wouldn't be appropriate as the code of practice from the APBI would not allow non clinical staff a sandwich.
C. Decline. Suggest that they buy their own. If they had worked harder at school and weren't so stupid they could have been a doctor and get a few perks.
D. Reflect that you as a earn perhaps 4-5 times more than the admin staff and are in fact least in need of any "perks". So say no but offer to buy him lunch out of your own pocket.


5. You stumble across an article that states that Avandia can cost £50 per month. A similar cost to a private Gym membership. You also are told that there is no hard intervention data (such as MI/Stroke etc) for Avandia. What do you think?
A. It's a lot of money especially when you consider the implications of the new GP contract. Perhaps we should consider other options?
B. Who cares?
C. Who cares as long as the HbA1C is lower?
D. Go puce with rage and start stamping your feet at the perverse logic that we pay for medication but not other lifestyle interventions. Also £50 a month would save many children in the developing world . . .

Scores of less than 6
You are perhaps in the wrong professional and a job as an international mercenary might be more to your liking. You are a pharma junkie.
Scores 6 to 10
Although not addicted you are highly dependent and need treatment. You put a brave face on but nobody is fooled (just ask your colleagues!) your in deep denial of the health risks. Only through support and NRT ("nice reasoned texts") will you kick the habit. If you fail then keep trying because the long-term benefits to health are enormous.
Scores 10 to 16
Average result. You are an occasional user of "big pharma" and like it. You know that you could do better but think that at the your usage levels your "not hurting anybody", "everybody else is doing it" and you only do it on "educational nights out". Some well-chosen texts research might convince you that even "passive, second hard Big pharma is a public health risk"
Scores 16 and above.
Do you have any friends because you are weird! You're a killjoy, uptight and want to spoil everybody's innocent fun. You have won! Email your details to nofreelunchuk@yahoo.co.uk and you will receive a certificate and 5 free pen. No strings attached!