ProPublica, an investigative journalism website, has been examining the financial connection between doctors and drug companies since 2010. What they found was no surprise: a number of doctors take money from drug companies and medical device makers in exchange for promoting their products.
Doctors rely on drug company reps to keep them informed about the latest medicines and devices. But when doctors are paid to push certain products, a conflict occurs.
After ProPublica created a “Dollars for Docs” database, patients have been able to look up their own doctors to learn whether they accept money from drug companies. US newscasters began to report about the topic in local communities.
Since then, top medical schools disciplined professors for giving paid lectures promoting drug company products, and the drug companies themselves cut back on paying doctors to promote their products.
Stanford University took action in early 2011 against five professors who had accepted money for giving drug company speeches. In late 2011, ProPublica found that two drug companies, Cephalon and AstraZeneca, cut spending on “doctor speakers” by nearly half.
Following ProPublica’s disclosure that 12 University of Colorado professors were paid by drug companies to give promotional talks, the UC-Denver and affiliated teaching hospitals began to revise their conflict-of-interest policies.
Drug companies also fund medical societies. As a result, what doctors see at professional conferences and conventions can be largely influenced by sponsorship money provided by drug companies and medical device makers.
Patient advocacy groups are also affected. In fall of 2011, ProPublica reported on a significant relationship between the American Pain Foundation (APF) and companies that sell narcotic painkillers. In 2010, the APF received almost 90 percent of its funding from drug companies. However, it denied that drug companies influence its position. Yet, while overdose deaths from painkillers have risen sharply, the APF maintains that the danger of painkillers is overstated, and that these drugs are, in fact, underused.
Even more disturbing, ProPublica learned that none of the 75 doctors accused in federal lawsuits of taking money to push drugs and medical devices have been prosecuted or even disciplined.
On an encouraging note, ProPublica reported that its Dollars for Docs database, originally published in late 2010 and updated in late 2011, showed a decrease by drug companies in paying doctors to promote. Apparently, public exposure of for-profit connections between doctors and drug companies is a good beginning toward getting this conflict resolved.
Source: Drug Companies Reduce Payments to Doctors as Scrutiny Mounts via ProPublica