Report finds 17,000 doctors cash in drug company money

[sharingwisdom]

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39742328/ns/health-health_care/ (https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39742328/ns/health-health_care/)

More than 17,000 doctors and other health care providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found. More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to the investigation. The report said far more doctors are likely to have taken such payments, but it documented these based on information from seven drugmakers.

The investigation by journalism group ProPublica, Consumer Reports magazine, NPR radio and [other] publications showed doctors were sometimes urged to recommend "off-label" prescriptions of drugs, meaning using them for conditions they are not approved for. "Tens of thousands of U.S. physicians are paid to spread the word about pharma's favored pills and to advise the companies about research and marketing," the group says in its report. "This investigation begins to pull back the shroud on these activities," Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said in a statement. "The amount of money involved is astounding, and the ProPublica report's account of the background of some of the physicians is disturbing."

Note: This important report is available here (https://www.propublica.org/topic/dollars-for-doctors). For more on corporate corruption, click here (https://www.wanttoknow.info/corporatecorruptionnewsarticles).

[AllorrahBe]

I heard on the radio this week a report that featured former drug company marketing people. They said they were trained by their employer(s) to approach a doctor, tell him/her: "Our company has identified you as a "thought leader" and we're wondering if you would speak about xyz drug for us?" The doctor is flattered, gets paid to speak to other doctors and push the drug, everybody gets a nice dinner/drinks or whatever, and the doctors go and write more prescriptions. This technique replaces the old golf tournament, cruise, tickets to the World Series, whatever the companies used to give the physicians who were "in their pockets."

I believe the commentary indicated a number MUCH larger than 17,000, but do not want to guess about the number... seemed to be a 6-digit number.

Rev. Allorrah Be
Mobile Minister
Circles of Light Ministries
:heart:




https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39742328/ns/health-health_care/ (https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39742328/ns/health-health_care/)

More than 17,000 doctors and other health care providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found. More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to the investigation. The report said far more doctors are likely to have taken such payments, but it documented these based on information from seven drugmakers.

The investigation by journalism group ProPublica, Consumer Reports magazine, NPR radio and [other] publications showed doctors were sometimes urged to recommend "off-label" prescriptions of drugs, meaning using them for conditions they are not approved for. "Tens of thousands of U.S. physicians are paid to spread the word about pharma's favored pills and to advise the companies about research and marketing," the group says in its report. "This investigation begins to pull back the shroud on these activities," Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said in a statement. "The amount of money involved is astounding, and the ProPublica report's account of the background of some of the physicians is disturbing."

Note: This important report is available here (https://www.propublica.org/topic/dollars-for-doctors). For more on corporate corruption, click here (https://www.wanttoknow.info/corporatecorruptionnewsarticles).