Drug Companies and Patient Groups:
Hi everyone. So, continuing the exploration of how drug companies influence health policy, I was lucky to interview two repeat guests on my Causes or Cures Podcast, Dr. Lisa Parker and Dr. Joel Lexchin. Dr. Parker, who is based in Australia, did a previous episode discussing her research on how drug companies influence drug and therapuetic decisions in hospitals throughout Australia. You can learn more about it and listen to the episode here. Dr. Lexchin did an episode covering the history of the Sunshine Act and how transparency is not enough when it comes to relationships between drug companies and doctors. You can find that episode here. In this episode, they will discuss drug companies and their potential influence on certain patient groups.
They will describe what patient groups are, including why they are needed and the variety of work they do, why drug companies have a vested interest in patient groups, how drug companies fund and influence the groups (and sometimes even create them) and how the groups influence healthcare policy. They will also discuss practical things that can be done to make the overall health system puts patients over profit.
When discussing drug companies and patient groups, it’s important to stress that many patient groups were formed by patients themselves, in order to advocate for their health needs, because the healthcare system was failing them. In the podcast, that understanding will be emphasized when discussing solutions to ensure drug companies don’t use patient groups for their own profit-fueled interests.
Dr. Lexchin is a professor at York University, where he teaches pharmaceutical policy, an emergency medicine physician, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a member of the Ontario Drug Quality and Therapeutics Committee and was chair of the Drugs and Pharmacotherapy Committee of the Ontario Medical Association. Dr. Parker is an honorary senior lecturer at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney and on the faculty of medicine and health. She is a clinician who practices in the field of oncology(cancer) and her research focuses on public health ethics and policy.
Please click here to listen to the episode!
And after listening to this podcast, definitely explore the podcast for other episodes that dive into the myriad ways drug companies influence health policy. I appreciate all subscribers and sharers! My podcast is a completely independent, grassroots effort, so trust me when I say that.
Chat soon.
Eeks.