Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 18 January 2017 lives one at a time. When Bausch + Lomb develops a new drug or a new surgical technique, we can impact perhaps millions of lives. This is the lure for doctors to industry. My experience in industry has been that the leadership of the big pharma and biotech companies share doctors' motivation to im- prove patients' lives. I have now served under three CEOs, and each has prioritized the projects that may have the greatest medical impact, and each has deferred to medical judgment regarding the safety and efficacy of our products. Creating profits and accelerating returns to shareholders are clearly priorities for medical industry CEOs, but our CEOs have told me that they chose to work in this industry be- cause of the impact they could make on patients, while also managing and growing a business. Thus there is a fundamental difference in the pharma and medical device industry compared to other manufacturing sectors. Is that so different from what motivates today's doctors in prac- tice? More and more, clinicians must be able to manage the business of their practice to survive. A growing portion of the articles in our jour- nals are devoted to practice develop- ment and the business of medicine. Most of us knew little about business before we began our practices, but all of us have had to learn. Thus, the financial implications of how we practice have impacted our decision-making and, at times, the choices we offer to our patients. When I was in the early years of my practice, I knew little about the driving forces and inner workings of industry. Today, I am keenly aware that the motivations of doctors and medical companies are more closely aligned than the lay press and the public realize. Both subscribe to the motto, "If we do good, we will do well." Both desire to raise the stan- dard of medical care and improve the lives of patients. The similarities of our goals truly overwhelm the differences. EW Editors' note: Dr. Roberts is chief medical officer of Bausch + Lomb. Contact information Roberts: Calvin.Roberts@bausch.com by Calvin Roberts, MD Chief medical editor's corner of the world I was pleasantly surprised when I came to Bausch + Lomb (Bridgewater, New Jersey) to find that our company employed 153 full-time, residency-trained MDs and ODs. I am confident that the num- bers at other ophthalmic companies are similar. Doctors in industry have wide-ranging responsibilities, from clinical development and clinical trial design, to medical affairs, mar- keting, and even sales. All of us are motivated by the desire to see new technology come to the marketplace to help patients. While I loved being in practice, I was only impacting A guest opinion piece by Bausch + Lomb's chief medical officer "T he goal of doctors is to help patients; the goal of the pharma industry is to make money." So began a recent article in the lay press, disparaging the motives of the pharmaceutical industry. I spent 26 years in clinical practice and the last 6 years in industry. The above quote contains two half truths. Striving to make positive impacts for patients T he relationship between industry and ophthalmology has never been under more scrutiny. I encourage disclosure and transparency, as there are certainly rare instances when this relationship has not placed the patient at the center of the equa- tion. However, in the vast majority of cases, the relationship between industry and oph- thalmologists has been the spark that has resulted in better patient care. Innovation is the cornerstone of our profession. Virtually every major advance in ophthalmology— phacoemulsification, foldable IOLs, lasers (the Nd:YAG, excimer, and femtosecond), and most pharmaceutical agents—has been developed, refined, and brought to market through close relationships between industry and physicians. This symbiosis should be celebrated, embraced, and fostered for the sake of its ultimate beneficiaries, the patient. Calvin Roberts, MD, is an individual who has experienced both sides of this relationship. He has been a researcher, clini- cian, and superb surgeon. I have known Cal for my entire career and have never met a more dedicated ophthalmologist. I was more than a little surprised when he left private practice to become chief medical officer at Bausch + Lomb. However, he has performed in this position with the same dedication he brought to direct patient care. His perspec- tive is unique for this reason and very much worth listening to. Eric Donnenfeld, MD, chief medical editor " Doctors in industry have wide-ranging responsibilities, from clinical development and clinical trial design, to medical affairs, marketing, and even sales. All of us are motivated by the desire to see new technology come to the marketplace to help patients. " –Calvin Roberts, MD

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