Doctors Reform Society of Australia
			supporting health care reforms to ensure justice, equity and quality care for all
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by Ray Moynihan

Introduction

How often do you see drug reps? When was the last time you took a free meal from a drug-maker? Ever taken the spouse and kids on a little weekend away, with just a little help from a drug company? Or perhaps you are the sort who reads Australian Doctor just for the articles?

There are informed estimates that the Australian community may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the unnecessary and inappropriate use of prescription medications. Prescribing a powerful and potentially harmful drug to someone who may not really need it, is a fundamental breach of the primary Hippocratic dictum, 'First do no harm.' Prescribing an expensive new medication when an older cheaper one may be equally as good could be wasting limited resources. It is obvious that some of this wasteful and dangerous practice is due, in part, to the relationships between doctors and drug companies who are naturally bent on maximizing sales.

Unfortunately, the full text of this article is not currently available online. Contact Carol at the DRS national office to order copies or for more information.

.		.	The Doctors Reform Society of Australia, Box 14, 4 Goulburn Street, Sydney 2000. Phone 02 9264-9084 Fax 02 9267-4393.	.
			This page was last updated on 10th February, 2003.
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