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Physician and Pharmaceutical Industry Relationships

BY Kevin M. Quinley
June 22, 2010

According to a national survey of doctors published in The New England Journal of Medicine, 94% of physicians have “a relationship” with the pharmaceutical, medical device or related industries. And Integrated Medical Systems, a research firm, estimates that drug companies spend over $20 billion annually marketing directly to physicians. With statistics like these, it is not surprising that the public is becoming concerned that these ties may influence how medications are developed, marketed and prescribed.

Governments, too, are looking into the issue. In 2003, Washington, DC, passed legislation requiring drug makers to disclose marketing expenditures to the City Health Department. Several states have passed or considered similar laws, some including a ban on all industry gifts to physicians. The U.S. Congress shows no reluctance in issuing subpoenas to medical device firms as it seeks to determine what kinds of payments they made to private-practice physicians, and why.

In short, due to rising dissatisfaction over an actual or perceived influence of drug and device manufacturers over patient health care, transparency is becoming the watchword for our times.

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