Freebie Friday

Øystein — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:53:59 +0000

I attended an oncologic convention this week. Lots of interesting lectures, especially one on laparoscopy in the treatment of gynecological cancers, but what is knowledge compared to all the free stuff I bagged from the pharmaceutical company stands…

Sadly no ice cream this time, but I managed to scoop up a great variety of give-aways:

LED flashlight
Wireless PC mouse
Two moose teddy bears
Laser pointer
Magnetic clip
Several pens (photo credit)
Several notepads
Toothpaste
Chewing gum
Fresh juice
Mints
Lip balm
Key chains

As a speaker said during the convention dinner: “Thanks to the pharmaceutical industry for sponsoring this convention, and for being a never-ending source of pens.”

I got one object that I’m truly excited about, though. One of the companies who make chemo drugs for renal cancer had a beautiful anatomical model of a kidney on their stand (photo credit). After talking to them for for about 20 minutes I managed to gather enough courage to ask if it was possible to get hold of a model like they had. “Oh, you can have this, if you want it. Less stuff for us to bring back.” I left the stand with a smile on my face and a kidney in my hands. There’s no doubt where the money’s at.

You wouldn't want one of these in your office? Are you kidney me?

Pharmaceutical ice cream

Øystein — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 10:37:03 +0000

I’m at a medical convention. Like most medical conventions it’s sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. A large hall is filled with stands from the different companies. Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, AstraZeneca, they’re all here. I’m not very often at conventions like this, and every time I’m puzzled by the pharmaceutical sales people. This is indeed a strange but varied way to make a living.

Judging by the sales people I’ve seen so far, these are some of tasks you’ll have to manage if you want to be a successful drug dealer:

Talk convincingly about the brilliancy of a ball point pen
Demonstrate the use of a combined calculator and compass
Make waffles
Demonstrate the use of a Skype phone
Make a nicely arranged plate of fruits
Blow up several balloons
Feed aquarium fish

But the most important thing you have to know is how to make soft ice cream. On this convention no less than two pharmaceutical stands serves soft ice. I asked one of them if it was a new way to administer chemotherapy. They didn’t get the joke.

These companies pay for the entire convention. But their presence here is ridiculous beyond belief. It seems like the only thing they don’t have to know anything about is pharmacy. In many ways they represent the exact opposite of the medical sciences, and I think it’s very problematic that the medical community is so dependent on them.

The Sterile Eye » sponsoring

Freebie Friday

Pharmaceutical ice cream