Doctors, drug companies and medical ethics: A Sri Lankan perspective

Abstract

Pharmaceutical companies and doctors have an interdependent relationship hroughout the world. This relationship is even stronger in developing countries such as Sri Lanka, and may lead to adverse outcomes especially for the consumer. Not only do drug companies play a vital role in sponsoring continued professional development (CPD) programmes, they are also at times 'nice enough' to grant personal favours to their 'best prescribers'. Doctors who are frequently in contact with drug representatives are more willing to prescribe newer drugs. Such doctors do not like ending consultations with advice only, and are more likely to prescribe a drug that is not clinically indicated (1). The situation is worse in developing countries where doctors are seen as 'Gods' by most patients who rarely question their doctors.