Good luck with your new president and the inauguration

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[XOXO]

Thank you Soxfan. I am glad I didn't ask my Doctor more . . . I really thought it was about the profit made on the drug she was prescribing.

I don't think there is a cheaper thyroid medicine--armour is the cheapest. But claratin is probably less expensive that zyrtek.

That was true about 10 years ago. Those days are long gone. In fact, as of Jan 1 the PHRMA Guidelines for Pharmaceutical marketing and sales just became a whole lot more strict. I can no longer take physicians out to dinner...Those goofy pens and pads in your docs offices? Steal them while you can because we no longer have them.

ok, on the internet it is hard to gauge how a comment is intended without seeing their body language or hearing their tone; so, imagine me all cute tilting my head and wrinkling my nose and saying softly:

isn't that a good thing?? Do you feel that because you have a more personal relationship with your clinics that you should be able to bring the office donuts or take them out for lunch? If so, I agree. But, I also think there should be limits. My girlfriend works in the office of a clinic and tells me about the good grub the reps bring and gives me leftover gym bags, etc. I don't think that is a really horrible thing . . . the vacations and perks were.

Gina

[XOXO]

LEX:I'd gotten some strong impressions of some posters from previous debate threads but this is making the picture even clearer.

Do tell!! What do you think you know about us??

SOX: My cousin ate my cookie and I got pissed and never went back.

That is funny!! I laughed out-loud.

Lex, you might be disappointed because I don't have strong feeling about any of the topics you wanted to know about.

Same sex marriage: if someone gets married to someone of the same sex it doesn’t hurt me. I really don’t understand why people oppose it. All I ever hear is . . . marriage is between a man and a woman . . . well, not if it is between two men or two women. That isn’t an argument.

Capital punishment: well, I couldn’t flip the switch so I guess I am not for it.

Gun control: I wouldn’t mind tighter gun control. I don’t feel passionately and this is a non-factor when I am looking at the policies of the people running for office.

[JT]

Anybody have any thoughts they'd like to share on same sex marriage? Capital punishment? Gun control?

I'm also curious about the belief of being judged by God when we die. Is there a verdict? Guilty or innocent? And what are the consequences? What will happen to someone who has acted in a way that God doesn't want? And what happens to those who have acted as God wants? And where does this go on?

Same sex marriage? I don't personally get it. Nor do I get the animosity against it. Whatever floats your boat. I don't see it as something that should be a legal issue to stop people from it. All I know if there's anything to re-incarnation and I come back as a woman, I'm going to be a lesbian. Damned if I want some guy's hairy stubble rubbing up against me.

Captital punishment? I don't like the idea of the government putting people to death,but I think that there are jusified exceptions. Hey,I live in the D.C. area. John Mohammad did his sniper thing a few years back, killed a boatload of innocent folks, and had us all scared shitless for weeks. I think that I could pull the switch on him and go home and sleep just fine. Timothy McVeigh? No problem. High crimes and treason rate up there sometimes, too. Shoot the president of the USA? Get put before a firing squad in Lafayette Park, put it on CNN, I don't care!

Gun control? That's not an either/or issue to me. The extremists on both sides are just that: extremists. Do we really need AK47's and other assault rifles and automatics on the streets? On the other side of the coin, I don't choose to hunt, but many of my friends do. God bless 'em, as the deer around here are so numerous that we call 'em white tailed rats. Also, I do believe it to be your right, if you choose, to keep a weapon in your home to defend your family and home.

Being judged by God? Gee, I got in trouble with Sister Francis Regis on this one in 6th grade. We were taught that God created everything, and knew everything that ever was, and everything that ever will be. We were taught that there was a heaven and hell, and if you sinned bad enough you were damned to hell. So I wanted to know if God knew before he created me that I was going to screw up and end up in hell, why would he create me to start with? Seemed pretty unfair to me at 12 years old. Still does.

Oh, yeah, linne, thanks again for your good wishes, and look what you started!

[Teresa_Rae]

birth control fails, people get raped, incest is not uncommon, teenagers think they cannot be touched (and the rampant lack of sex ed and the abstinence vow thing really makes this a problem). outside of sex slaves/indentured prostitution, if you can find me someone who actually relies on abortion as a method of birth control i will eat my keyboard.

These are recent stats from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with Planned Parenthood…of American women who have had abortions:

46% did not use contraception during the month they became pregnant
8% had never used a method of birth control
47% had at least one previous abortion
19% had at least two previous abortions

I remembered a news item from earlier this year so I googled it and in 2006 in the United Kingdom 15,000 women had had 3 or more abortions, 1,300 women had had 5 or more abortions, and 54 women had had 8 or more abortions.

I think it's pretty safe to say that there are indeed women who use abortion as birth control.

[loria]

birth control fails, people get raped, incest is not uncommon, teenagers think they cannot be touched (and the rampant lack of sex ed and the abstinence vow thing really makes this a problem). outside of sex slaves/indentured prostitution, if you can find me someone who actually relies on abortion as a method of birth control i will eat my keyboard.

These are recent stats from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with Planned Parenthood…of American women who have had abortions:

46% did not use contraception during the month they became pregnant
8% had never used a method of birth control
47% had at least one previous abortion
19% had at least two previous abortions

I remembered a news item from earlier this year so I googled it and in 2006 in the United Kingdom 15,000 women had had 3 or more abortions, 1,300 women had had 5 or more abortions, and 54 women had had 8 or more abortions.

I think it's pretty safe to say that there are indeed women who use abortion as birth control.

actually the same institute also says that
data from the United States—where contraceptive use among women at risk of unintended pregnancy is nearly universal—show how difficult it can be for many women to use contraceptive methods correctly and consistently over many years; in terms of their failure rates, many methods have a considerable gap between consistent and less consistent use

the case is that many women use contraceptives (and many times inconsistently or just incorrectly) and still get pregnant--so their use of abortion is probably not a direct method of birth control, but the unintended consequence of inconsistent/incorrect use of birth control--

but this is getting really old. and i have to get busy trying to figure out how to save my soul

[soxfan22]

ok, on the internet it is hard to gauge how a comment is intended without seeing their body language or hearing their tone; so, imagine me all cute tilting my head and wrinkling my nose and saying softly:

isn't that a good thing??

Hey Gina - No need to filter your questions with me! I am not easily insulted...You ask a vaey fair question here, and my short answer is, absolutely.

I think it is a great thing that all of this giveaway crap that we once had (pens, pads, tote bags, coffee mugs, water bottle, staplers, etc) is no gone. I never liked giving that crap away anyhow.

Now, I realize this is going to sound VERY sexist...But, it is a fact, and one that was written about in the WSJ a few years ago.

There are too many "cheerleader reps" out there. Reps thatlook great in a skirt, but think the term "half life" is associated with turning 40.

Or that "binding affinity" is something they did at the frat party in college.

Now, let me explain myself because I can see Flip firin' up the old laptop right now...Most doctors today are still men. Doctors, as we know too well, are human beings. Men doctors like talking to a good looking woman in a skirt, just as men in any walk of life do.

About 10 years ago, Pfizer introduced a sales model termed "Share of Voice". What they did was to bloat their salesforce with unqualified reps in order to ensure that for a given doctor (primary care), that doc would have three to four different reps calling on them in the same week, with say, Zithromax. Ever wonder why the first thing a doc wants to give you when you show up with a mild upper respiratoty problem is a Z-Pac?

So, now what you see is these companies scaling back their salesforces, and only keeping those people who can competently sell and educated the physician on the science of the drug and the disease state.

I will say again though, in my position it is not good that dinners have been taken away (there are still some instances where we can do them)...Again, we have to have a business relationship with the doc, and there is no business done in the doctors office...They are simply too busy (although what I like MOST about my job is that I can walk into any of my Nephrology clinics/accounts and get 20 minutes with an office manager or lead doc, simply because we are joined in business due to the whole contracting/buy and bill arrangement - well that and the fact that I am not a pushy, slimy salesman).

[DaveS007]

I can second that sexist notion. As the saying goes among the drug reps; every see a rep over 40?

Nope.

[verjoy]

When we lived in another town in the early '90s our family physician (female) took up with a male drug rep. Ruined her family and her husband attempted suicide with a gun. I liked her very much, but was relieved when we moved away shortly thereafter because I didn't trust her judgement anymore. I guess that is old-fashioned of me.

[soxfan22]

I can second that sexist notion. As the saying goes among the drug reps; every see a rep over 40?

Nope.

Very true, Dave...Which means my gravy train ends in about 8 years!

Although I have to say, I work in the New England District for my company, and we have 8 product specialists in my district. Six of the 8 are over the age of fourty, and there is only one person younger than me (and she is GREAT in terms of her business and clinical accumen). Like I said, what we do is very different from the cookie-cutter reps you see in your MD's office. When I joined in 2006 and went to training, I was the third youngest in a class of 40. Not trying to toot the old proverbial horn, just attempting to paint the picture of a specialty/biotech salesforce that are required to be experts in private and government reimbursement, clinical, industry, pharmacy, EMR, medical practice marketing/dynamics, clinical research and the ability to break down a clinical trial in a scientific manner, etc etc.

Again, folks who call on primary care/GP's pretty much walk in, ask for a signature to prove they were actually there, then refill the sample closet...Maybe get in a 30 managed care message "Dr., I have the new drug just approved by the FDA for Erectile Dysfunction, you know the one...Mycoxafloppin? Well, we have recently earned Tier 2 status on Healthnet."

That's pretty much how that goes, and you can see why docs get frustrated and close their door to industry...There is no value added.

[XOXO]

Thanks sox. I am glad I am not a drug rep. I would be out of a job!! Your job sounds pretty interesting. You must travel a lot.

Don't miss the fireworks tomorrow . . . my favorite girls. . . . pfffft. . . . are having Governor Rod Blagojevich on tomorrow. That could be interesting. At first, I thought he was crazy and narcissistic, but now I have decided either he has been wronged and he is going to expose the wrongdoers or he needs institutionalized!!!

I will scream if Shari talks about his hair. But I would enjoy it if Elisabeth would take the opportunity to mention “Wright, Ayers, Rezko” . Alright, I am just being snarky . . . I don't care about that, but, it certainly would add alittle drama.

And, Sox, was the term "girls" appropriate or should I apologize??

Gina

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[soxfan22]

Don't miss the fireworks tomorrow . . . my favorite girls. . . . pfffft. . . . are having Governor Rod Blagojevich on tomorrow.

Can't call them girls, Gina. They are women. Show some respect.

[cypressgirl]

[quote="GinaXOXO"]Thanks sox. I am glad I am not a drug rep. I would be out of a job!! Your job sounds pretty interesting. You must travel a lot.

Don't miss the fireworks tomorrow . . . my favorite girls. . . . pfffft. . . . are having Governor Rod Blagojevich on tomorrow. That could be interesting. At first, I thought he was crazy and narcissistic, but now I have decided either he has been wronged and he is going to expose the wrongdoers or he needs institutionalized!!!

I will scream if Shari talks about his hair. But I would enjoy it if Elisabeth would take the opportunity to mention “Wright, Ayers, Rezko” . Alright, I am just being snarky . . . I don't care about that, but, it certainly would add alittle drama.

And, Sox, was the term "girls" appropriate or should I apologize??

Gina[/quote

Do you think Elizabeth is allowed to ask a hard question? She is so outnumbered I think she is barely there. Joy is so obnoxious, with her facial expression, body language, and commnents, I can't even watch that show anymore. I do/did like Woopie. I think she is a very reasonalble lib. I don't agree with her, but she is respectful.

[XOXO]

Cypress: I have lost count of how many emails I have sent to the webmaster about Joy. She is so close-minded. I have to admit that I am looking forward to seeing the show tomorrow. Friday was taped before Kennedy withdrew . . . so they haven't commented on that.

I have a feeling I will be writing another letter.