Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20054

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Magazine

Sinclair R
Much ado about muffins
Australian Doctor 2006 Oct 627

Full text:

Editor I’m going to have to go public on this, I’m afraid. I well realise I serve a noble profession and my indiscretion weighs heavily on my heart.

But, fellow colleagues, I succumbed last week, and – yes, you’ve guessed it – I ate a muffin with a drug rep.

It was one of those delicious brown ones with nuggets of chocolate embedded – but I digress.

And while I’m in the mood for baring my soul, I must confess that I subsequently prescribed Lipitor to a gent. Well, I couldn’t help it – it was written on the pen I was using – what hope has a guy got under that kind of pressure. I now realise this will be all over the web and the punters will realise how shallow and gullible I really am.

But – not the labour the point – he did actually need the Lipitor but if I hadn’t had the pen in my hand I might have just asked him to buy some Beta Butter. Its just that Beta Butter is not even written on the tissue box, so there was zero incentive. Sigh.

Now there – I feel better already and I promise to never accept…-hang on a tick, the phone’s ringing…“Hello, yes, the Pfizer rep? A wee snack with chocolate muffins? By all means, next Wednesday will be excellent. You’re welcome”.

Dr Ross Sinclair
Wantirna South, Vic