[e-drug] Doctors prescribing heavily influenced by DTCA (8)

["Parrish, Richard" <RParrish@su.edu>]

E-DRUG: Doctors prescribing heavily influenced by DTCA (8)
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Dear Peter,

Your points are well taken. However, your group may consider the
similarities of the international professional response to DTCA at the
turn of the 21st century and that associated with patent medicine
advertising at the turn of the 20th century. Also, while you may be
familiar with The Progress of Experiment by Harry M. Marks at Hopkins
(specifically chapter 1 on rational therapeutics), your utilitarian
argument (greatest good in the greatest number) falls short of the mark
on professional accountability for creating the epidemic of drug-related
problems in the therapeutic state even before the legality of DTCA
(1997). 

I believe that the professions have yet to learn to truly advocate for,
let alone be responsible for the results of, pharmacotherapy in
individual patients. However, when this happens consistently, my
expectation is that DTCA will not be a factor (real or perceived) in the
provision of care.

Best,
Richard

Richard H. Parrish II, Ph.D., R.Ph.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice
Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy
Shenandoah University
Faculty Senate Secretary - 2004-5
1775 North Sector Court
Winchester, VA  22601  USA
tel: +1 540 678 4392
fax: +1 540 665 1283
email: RParrish@su.edu