This is a study that is likely to get a lot of talk. It is signed by doctors, researchers and engineers from the university and the University Hospital of Rennes. It tends to show a link between the gifts of pharmaceutical laboratories and prescriptions of general practitioners. The latter receive gifts and tend to make "more expensive prescriptions and lower quality", concludes this study led by a general practitioner in Rennes.
To arrive at these conclusions, the authors took a very wide panel, made up of 41.000 general practitioners working exclusively in France and in liberal. They divided it into two groups, on the one hand those who did not receive gifts in 2016 - only one-third of the panel - and those who received them. And the gifts, it goes from the mouse pad or the mug, to the sumptuous trip to several thousand euros.
Longer and more expensive prescriptions
The authors of the study then compared the prescriptions issued by the two groups. And they realized that general practitioners who receive gifts have their hands heavier. Their prescriptions cost an average of 5 euros more for the Health Insurance than those prescribed by the generalists not receiving benefits. The latter prefer generics, cheaper and therefore less expensive for the Sécu.
Another lesson from this study is that general practitioners who receive gifts tend to prescribe more and longer drugs such as antidepressants or statins, the use of which is not recommended by the Health Insurance. Clearly, according to this study, physicians who receive benefits from pharmaceutical labs prescribe more ... and less well.
"This study is skewed"
This study did not please Jean-Paul Hamon, president of the Federation of Doctors of France, who called Europe 1 to express his indignation. "I dispute it largely, first because this study shows that the Pharaonic sur-prescriptions are ... five euros, excuse the little", at first joked the doctor. "Second, this study is skewed since the famous law that was imposed by Aquilino Morelle - you know, the king of shoe polish at the Elysee - who forced us to declare the pens, beyond ten euros if we was receiving a gift from the pharmaceutical industry. "
To illustrate his point, Jean-Paul Hamon quoted his personal example. "I have not met a laboratory for more than fifteen years," he said. "But, on my conflicts of interest since this famous law, I have to be credited with 300 euros.Why? Because I went twice to the Printemps de Bicètre which is organized by the Kremlin-Bicêtre University for the masters of This meeting, given the means of the university, is sponsored by the industry. "