When is data mining wrong?

By Andrew Kenneally

A doctor writing a drug prescription.

A recent story in CNN Money (see “States fight to shield docs from drug data mining“) said that various states have either passed or are proposing laws to stop the commercial use of prescription data.

According to the article, companies like IMS Health have built an industry around gathering prescription data and selling the information to pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical companies turn around and use it to identify which doctors are prescribing their drugs and which are prescribing the competition.

Arguments can be made for and against the commercial use of prescription data, but the main question that the companies who mine this data must be readily able to answer is, how does it help the doctors and/or their patients? For many doctors and patients, the data mining that IMS Health and others are doing leaves them violated. A quick look at the article as well as IMS Health’s website leave readers with unanswered questions about privacy and how this company is acting in the public’s best interest.

When companies are not transparent about their work and cannot explain why it’s in the best interest of the public, the backlash can be great when the public learns what is going on. Transparency pays in the long run. Not being transparent means you have something to hide, and people are less likely to trust those who have something to hide, especially when it comes to their money.

Also posted on www.rpgworld2blog.com