WASHINGTON, June 26 — As states begin to require that drug companies disclose their payments to doctors for lectures and other services, a pattern has emerged: psychiatrists earn more money from drug makers than doctors in any other specialty.
How this money may be influencing psychiatrists and other doctors has become one of the most contentious issues in health care....
These and other stories have helped to fuel a growing interest among state and federal officials to document and restrict payments to doctors from drug makers. At a gathering last month at Columbia Law School in New York, state attorneys general from across the country discussed ways to get similar data for their states.
And today, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which is led by Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat of Wisconsin, will hold the first of a series of hearings on the issue, which could lead to legislative proposals to restrict and require disclosure of payments and gifts to doctors from drug companies nationwide.
Several lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed interest in such legislation, including Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. “A federal law requiring public disclosure of payments to doctors could be very effective if it was carefully monitored and consistently applied,” Mr. Grassley said.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Psychiatrists Top List in Drug Maker Gifts
New York Times: By GARDINER HARRIS
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2 comments:
Hmm. Interesting. I visited a psychiatrist once, in Madison, during marital strife. Within two minutes of sitting down, the psychiatrist said I needed to take a specific anti-depressant, Zoloft. No medical history, no details of my (then) current situation. Zip. I was surprised, got the prescription, and four weeks later flushed it and returned to my non-prescribing therapist, who was kind enough to not say she told me so.
Big Pharma, whatewver else one might say, is generally not stupid. They know where their money goes, and why. The statistics say it (the merchandising and payments)works--just not for me/my doctor (of course). Except for yours.
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