Disclosure Laws and Diabetes Care

Disclosure rules about payments by pharmaceutical and other health care companies to medical practitioners are not uniform everywhere, and may not even exist in some countries. Implementation of the rules may also be less than complete, with companies making excuses about trade secrecy and individual privacy to avoid making full and transparent disclosures.

Most physicians do not allow monies that they receive for their professional services to commercial organizations, to affect their decision-making regarding their prescriptions for tests and for medicines. However, patients may have doubts in this respect, so it is best to avoid misunderstandings.

Most medicines used for diabetes management have side-effects, interactions with other drugs, and have to be used with care. The number of tests available to monitor patients keeps expanding, and generic versions of drugs come to market in relentless waves.

Doctors should always inform their patients if disease management involves some form of payment from a commercial health care enterprise. Patients should also ask questions about this: it is best for all concerned to clear the air!