Doctors can really tick you off

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TedKennedy

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It's gotten worse due to Dr. Google's recommendations for an unwarranted sense of entitlement.
No joke. It's almost like the patients are paying them for services or something. Expectations...good grief. And some even complain about waiting room times - like their time is worth something. Sheeesh.
 

okcBob

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It's pretty easy, they can just sign up to be a "speaker." There was a study a few years back..... a chit ton of doctors were found to be receiving compensation equaling more than 100K.

More than 20 years ago, I used to watch Pharma companies spend $10K a night on dinners at the restaurant I worked at.
Not sure that’s a kickback. Kickbacks are illegal, a Stark law violation. And there’s certainly no 3 drug threshold for an average doc to get paid for prescriptions.
Speaking fees are a different topic than kickbacks however, and are legal, but the average family doc in a busy practice doesn’t do them that often. Been to a few of those engagements.
Agree with the Pharm sales reps having a big budget. Been to a few fancy dinners from them when I worked in transplant. They also bring the best lunches to the office or hospital dept. Staff knows they’ll prob get a big spread from Teds if a Pharm rep is buying instead of a box of donuts from a local hospice rep.
 
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okcBob

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It's gotten worse due to Dr. Google's recommendations for an unwarranted sense of entitlement.
That’s not the half of it. And it’s impossible to explain how pathophysiology & pharmacology affects the treatment recommendation that the family/patient demands because they read something online. The doc will say we can’t give them the med you want them to have because the patient has acute kidney injury & this med you want him to have will make it worse. It’s contraindicated & dangerous.
Then the family screams “you’re killing him & im gonna sue you” and threatens violence. So we call security & remove the screaming family member who is being dragged away with his phone still trying to show the doc the YouTube video.

I guess their expectations weren’t met.
 

okcBob

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No joke. It's almost like the patients are paying them for services or something. Expectations...good grief. And some even complain about waiting room times - like their time is worth something. Sheeesh.
Yes we pay the docs for their services & lots of them are late, arrogant, rude, etc. we’ve all been in that waiting room.
But imagine being subjected to that doctor office/service every day (like the office staff does with nutty self entitled patients) instead of intermittently as a patient. The Dr Google nonsense gets old pretty quick.
 
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JD8

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Not sure that’s a kickback. Kickbacks are illegal, a Stark law violation. And there’s certainly no 3 drug threshold for an average doc to get paid for prescriptions.
Speaking fees are a different topic than kickbacks however, and are legal, but the average family doc in a busy practice doesn’t do them that often. Been to a few of those engagements.
Agree with the Pharm sales reps having a big budget. Been to a few fancy dinners from them when I worked in transplant. They also bring the best lunches to the office or hospital dept. Staff knows they’ll prob get a big spread from Teds if a Pharm rep is buying instead of a box of donuts from a local hospice rep.

That's all semantics. CMon now lol..... let's call a spade a spade. It's compensation for prescribing drugs. Doctors have in fact been compensated in several ways to write prescriptions. Using "speaker fees" for a non accredited continuing education is just ONE way they get around the law. Or they'll call it a "promotional" speaking event.
 

TedKennedy

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Yes we pay the docs for their services & lots of them are late, arrogant, rude, etc. we’ve all been in that waiting room.
But imagine being subjected to that doctor office/service every day (like the office staff does with nutty self entitled patients) instead of intermittently.
Yeah, I wouldn't do it. And if it's such a burden, then they shouldn't either. Just like stressed-out JBTs that gripe about what they HAVE to put up with - no one freaking drafted them. It's their choice.
 

okcBob

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That's all semantics. CMon now lol..... let's call a spade a spade. It's compensation for prescribing drugs. Doctors have in fact been compensated in several ways to write prescriptions. Using "speaker fees" for a non accredited continuing education is just ONE way they get around the law. Or they'll call it a "promotional" speaking event.
That’s not what the hospitalists are telling me. They get paid by the hospital & go home after their shift. And how many family docs around town in their busy practice get speaker fees? I don’t know of any, prob not a lot. Maybe a specialist occasionally, but that fee is a drop in the bucket for a successful ortho or surgeon. They don’t need to depend on a speaking fee to make ends meet.

Besides I was replying to the getting an illegal kickback from pharma for writing 3 scripts. That’s what the docs thought was funny. I think we’re going off on another topic with the speaking engagements issue.
 
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JD8

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That’s not what the hospitalists are saying. They get paid by the hospital & go home after their shift. And how many family docs around town get speaker fees? I don’t know of any. Maybe a specialist occasionally, but that fee is a drop in the bucket for a successful ortho or surgeon. They don’t need to depend on a speaking fee to make ends meet.

Besides I was replying to the getting an illegal kickback for writing 3 scripts. That’s what the docs thought was funny.

We aren't limited to just hospitalists that you talk to. Let's stay on track here instead of moving the goalposts too. Do doctors get compensation for writing scripts? Yes. It's been proven. Let's also not be obtuse and be shocked that they don't admit it too LOL.

Gifts, Travel, food, fees...... it's all happening. This stuff is legal, but it is what it is..... incentive based compensation.
 
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