Drug Companies Still Romancing Physicians: New Evidence
Two medical journals this spring have reported that pharmaceutical companies continue to make questionable payments to physicians as incentives to boost drug sales.
A study published in a March edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examines these payments, and reveals that tracking is sometimes impossible, due to a lack of state laws requiring public disclosure, and due to pharmaceutical companies who classify many transactions as "trade secrets," withholding information from researchers and the public.
Another study led by Harvard Medical School and published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that 94% of physicians report having a relationship with someone in the pharmaceutical industry. Of that group, 83% received free food in the workplace courtesy of a drug company, and 35% received money to attend professional meetings or medical training events. In its June 2007 Bulletin, the AARP reported that, according to a two-year Senate Finance Committee investigation, many of these medical training events are forums for drug companies to advertise new products and illegally promote their drugs for unapproved uses -- a practice that endangers patients and drives up Medicare costs.
If you have any questions regarding a drug you have been prescribed, you should contact your health care provider.Previously on the D.C. Metro Area Medical Malpractice Blog, we have posted the following related articles:
- the relationship of physician gifts and evidence-based medicine,
- the importance of being an educated patient.
the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.