(Reuters Health) - Some oncologists may be more likely to prescribe certain cancer medicines when they receive payments from the companies that make these drugs, a U.S. study suggests.
Researchers examined data on payments drug companies made to doctors in 2013 for research funding as well general payments such as gifts, fees for speaking or consulting work, meals or travel. Then, researchers looked at how often doctors prescribed different drugs for two types of cancers with multiple treatment options: kidney cancer and chronic myeloid leukemia.
I heard a discussion of the subject on National Public Radio yesterday. We aren't really surprised are we. (showing my age--still listening to the radio?)
There is a site, for the US at least, in which you can look up your doctor to see if they have received any payments from pharmaceutical companies. I think it’s a good dea for all patients to check on their doctors to see if they are heavily in pharma’s pocket.
I don’t remember the site off the top of my head, but I’m sure a quick search would bring it up.
But how much did he get? I looked at a few of my doctors and they got from $100 to $2000 for 2013 thru 2015. Not much at all compared to a doctor on the list who got $400,000!
I looked up my doctor on Dollars for Doctors. Interestingly, though he did receive some funds a few years back, it was related to Imbruvica, so made sense, and he has not in any way been promoting that treatment. The information might be useful, but it is important to keep it in context.
This is only monies received from U.S. sources.. there are hundreds of pharaceutical companies outside the U.S. who are not required to report a penny.
In the NHS all money for research and sponsorship (for travel/meetings etc) has to be declared to the institution that the Dr is working in before it's accepted and can be refused. Can't comment re private hospitals, they don't have the same governance arrangements.
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