It’s CMS Open Payments Database time again, updated for 2017. Sadly, it turns out you or at least one of your closest colleagues is a witting or unwitting puppet of the pharmaceutical industry: a full 35.4% of practicing U.S. emergency physicians received payments from industry last year.
The details:
- The median payment was $18 – 90% of you just got lunch (or dinner)(or less).
- Over 75% of emergency physicians in Mississippi were the recipient of some industry payment.
- Ethicon Endo-Surgery and Janssen Pharmaceuticals were the largest of many contributors, and Xarelto, Eliquis, Activase, and Pradaxa were the most frequently cited products.
- There were 35 EPs receiving industry sponsored research payments, primarily from device manufacturers – Covidien, Taro, and Zoll.
That said, these data also only scratch the surface of accountability, as about half of payments could not be associated with a product, and reporting to the OPD does not include other general grants and payments to organizations, rather than individuals.
And now you know, and knowing is half.
“Analysis of current financial relationships between emergency physicians and industry”
https://www.ajemjournal.com/article/S0735-6757(18)31001-5/abstract
I am aware of the literature suggesting that docs are influenced to one degree or another by industry gifts, but isn’t it a stretch to say they’re puppets since, as you said, the vast majority just got lunch or dinner?
It depends – does the puppet know it’s being puppeteered? I might suggest those who are “just” receiving lunch or dinner are less aware of the potential influence on their practice than the individual who is receiving direct payment to evangelize or perform research.
There’s plenty of evidence that docs tend not to be aware that they’re being influenced, but that was not my point. I was suggesting that it’s a great leap to extrapolate from research findings indicating some level of influence to conclude that all those who partook of lunch are puppets of industry. The problem seems more nuanced to me.