Posted by Dr. Bob on July 31, 2002, at 23:42:39
In reply to drug reps, posted by katekite on July 31, 2002, at 16:55:02
> Many people here think that drug reps are educated people like 'researchers', who will be objective in their advice.
It's a complicated issue, whom to trust:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#trust
> My beef has nothing to do with whether its a good drug or not, its about whether the person marketing it will have undue influence over people with no other information to look at.
So people need other information. Whatever other sides of the story there are.
> There should be reps from all the companies, to make it fair.
I should issue invitations? :-)
> How about if I start touting something I sell, after I put my degrees behind my name? Would that be fair on this site... what exactly are the rules?
I'm open to input, but I think my inclination is not to make a new rule, ie, to allow people to post about products if they follow the current rules, ie, don't pressure others, exaggerate or overgeneralize, etc.
> I appreciate the idea that someone in-the-know may have interesting information or viewpoints and I wish there was a way to get that without bias -- but there isn't any way to be sure and in the absence of being able to discern bias or no bias, we are safer here without it at all.I guess my philosophy has been, better to have information and to be alert to potential bias than not to have information. Besides, it's not like I have any way to keep drug reps out...
Bob
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:6905
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020725/msgs/6938.html