[rgrieselhuber]

Yeah he was just an innocent marketing consultant:

“ In a March 2008 PowerPoint presentation, Tsai outlined a marketing strategy for the drug that included guidance on targeting “specific physician segments to grow high-prescriber group (i.e., physicians more sensitive to patient needs)” and an idea to introduce “coupons” for the drug as part of a pilot program.”

[asdff]

Are you trying to say this quote is painting him as not innocent? That really doesn't seem so sinister. Sinister would be buying billboard space in west virginia like something out of newport cigarettes playbook.

[skippyboxedhero]

Yes, it is fairly obvious that he wasn't innocent based on that quote.

The high-prescribers were people operating out of strip malls, often with unclear credentials, and whose main clientele were opioid addicts. Many of these people (I am choosing not to use the word doctors) ended up in prison...consultants who were advising them, not so much.

There are a large number of people who could do this job, it is reasonable to ask whether the person you want doing this job is someone who, at best, was unaware that these people were breaking the law. And, to be clear, he was Partner of their Healthcare practice whilst this was going on...he wasn't just making Powerpoints.

The revolving door between consultancies and government must continue. No-one is more skilled than running government than lawyers and consultants who have lots of experience in...advising other people how to run things.

[asdff]

> The high-prescribers were people operating out of strip malls, often with unclear credentials, and whose main clientele were opioid addicts.

I think this is an assumption. May be right but for all doctors who “listen to patients needs” to be pill pushers deserving prison time seems a little too inconvenient. At the end of the day he is asked to optimize a business in a consultancy not to play to his moral principles and get replaced on the project for someone who will optimize it for business needs. At least he is potentially seeing all the inputs with these relationships and a side of the healthcare industry a lot of people wouldn’t have any experience with without holding these positions themselves to be able to be in these rooms where these conversations are held.

[lightedman]

"Are you trying to say this quote is painting him as not innocent?"

Correct. Instead of targeting just people that medically need it, this quote paints him as specifically advertising to and targeting the addicted patients of less-than-reputable doctors who would over-proscribe this, get the patient addicted, and thus have them in the loop of buying more painkillers.

[asdff]

If you buy the assumption that “listens to patiens needs” = pill pusher maybe. I don’t think that is so black and white. The coupons also make sense to get ahead of competitors in a world of copays for most prescriptions.