Why do medical doctors nearly always prescribe brand name drugs? Do they get a kickback?

Yes. Drug reps go into theyre office all the time.

Some doctors do get something out of it. Mostly though,they write the name brand because some pharmacies may only carry certain generics. If the doctor prescribes the name brand, you should let your pharmacist know you prefer the generics and that is what he or she will usually always give you if available. Your pharmacist will give you whichever generic they stock for that name brand. Always have a good relationship with your pharmacist, they are good for general health advice, they make sure none of your medicines work against each other and they can try to save you money.

My brother is a doctor as well as several good friends and family members. And I can say they DO NOT get any kind of kick back. The pharm reps do come in and give pens and little things of such to promote their product and they do buy the doctors and staff lunch on occasion but no money is ever exchanged and the pharmacy and pharm companies do not exchange names due to hepa regulations so there is no way for the rep to even know if the doctor is using their meds.

Some labs give doctors training and some rewards in order they mention hem in the prescription, but it doesn't mean you have to buy them, you can buy a medication which contains the same components as the drug prescribe by the doctor!:)

According to some sources i.e. Natural Cures They Do Not want you to Know, doctors get a kick back for every prescription they write. Pharmaceutical companies will do anything including manufacturing and selling deadly drugs i.e. vioxx and celebrex knowing they'd kill people. There are billions of payoffs by drug manufacturers to doctors and powers that be. I have no confidence in them and I only take medicine in very extreme circumstances.

They have to put down something. The easiest is to put down a name they know, and check off 'allow generic substitution' unless there really is a good reason to stick with the brand name. At times, there is.

It isn't the doctors job to know every name formulation for a drug, it is the pharmacists.

-Dio

different reasons. one: they have stocks in some. two: drug representative expect doctors to prescribe there drug (because they just gave him hundreds of dollars worth of samples). three: the doctor really like this drug and its his personal choice.

sometimes...

vacations, free samples, gifts...

also they get bombarded with its newer better bigger less side effects from marketing... but we have all seen how pharmacies play the numbers....

i work in rural area.. our doctors are pretty good about using generics or older less expensive meds with similar properties....and working with the insurance companies.. because the formularies are different all the time

most dont. they write the name brand caus its to hard to know all the generic names..If the dont specify name brand you automatically get generic.

Of course they do!