Comments on: Is Comparative-Effectiveness Going Too Far Too Soon? http://blog.pharmtech.com/2009/08/19/is-comparative-effectiveness-going-too-far-too-soon/ The blog of Pharmaceutical Technology magazine Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:25:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: A. Drakulich http://blog.pharmtech.com/2009/08/19/is-comparative-effectiveness-going-too-far-too-soon/comment-page-1/#comment-19942 A. Drakulich Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:58:24 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=1679#comment-19942 Jay, Thank you for your comment. I agree with you that medications and consumer experience with their effectiveness are unique issues. My primary point in this post was to say that I hope comparative-effectiveness studies stick to the goal of providing doctors and patients with the best information available and that the research doesn't start to "take sides" by outwardly promoting some products over others. Sure, consumers know the difference between superior and placebo, but there are numerous reports of consumers experiencing an adverse event because of over-dosage or mis-dosage--so even the clearest and best-intended labels may not work how industry and regulators intend them to work. PharmTech is a subscriber-based publication. Advertising is separate from editorial content. Jay, Thank you for your comment. I agree with you that medications and consumer experience with their effectiveness are unique issues. My primary point in this post was to say that I hope comparative-effectiveness studies stick to the goal of providing doctors and patients with the best information available and that the research doesn’t start to “take sides” by outwardly promoting some products over others. Sure, consumers know the difference between superior and placebo, but there are numerous reports of consumers experiencing an adverse event because of over-dosage or mis-dosage–so even the clearest and best-intended labels may not work how industry and regulators intend them to work.

PharmTech is a subscriber-based publication. Advertising is separate from editorial content.

]]> By: Jay http://blog.pharmtech.com/2009/08/19/is-comparative-effectiveness-going-too-far-too-soon/comment-page-1/#comment-19932 Jay Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:40:35 +0000 http://blog.pharmtech.com/?p=1679#comment-19932 This post is missing the main point. Consumers can readily judge the taste of hamburgers because they have experience with hamburgers and taste is indeed a matter of perference. But most consumers do not have much experience with the medications they are prescribed and clinical effectiveness is not equal to taste and preference. Worse, you have a very low opinion of consumers. Why should the reporting of two simple pieces of information be confusing? Consumers don't understand the words superior or placebo? Come on! I have a question for you. How much of Pharmtech's funding comes from outside of the pharmaceutical industry? This post is missing the main point. Consumers can readily judge the taste of hamburgers because they have experience with hamburgers and taste is indeed a matter of perference. But most consumers do not have much experience with the medications they are prescribed and clinical effectiveness is not equal to taste and preference.

Worse, you have a very low opinion of consumers. Why should the reporting of two simple pieces of information be confusing? Consumers don’t understand the words superior or placebo? Come on!

I have a question for you. How much of Pharmtech’s funding comes from outside of the pharmaceutical industry?

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