In a post on EMR and EHR about Pharma and Health Plans paying for EMR software, I got the following comment from Aaron Holloway:
I am partnered with a Practice Management/EMR/EHR platform and we are in negotiations now with Pharma companies who are interested in subsidizing the platform from many perspectives:
1. Integration option of a sales visit app for rep’s (details, samples, etc.)
2. De-identified data procurement (measure brand impact)
3. Ad placement (lessor priority/ROI)
I’ve previously posted about the riskiness of pharma ads in EHR, but also have commented on how pharma ads in EHR are inevitable. However, I thought Aaron’s comments provided some interesting new ways I hadn’t heard for pharma to interact with a doctor thought an EHR than I had heard before.
I’m sure some people like Bruce Friedman from Lab Soft News will still be a little concerned whenever Pharma puts their fingers into things. Bruce has a right to be concerned. However, I still believe that it’s going to happen. So, I’d rather be part of the discussion than to sit back and say it shouldn’t happen while it happens anyway.
I generally say yes if no laws are being broken. Let the legislators sort out which laws they want to enact. I’m not into babysitting the system.