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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Are drug makers paying your doctor? See Glaxo, Lilly, Merck lists

Wall St. Journal writes today: "GlaxoSmithKline has become the latest big pharma company to disclose payments to health-care providers, listing 3,700 U.S. doctors and others who received a total of $14.6 million in speaking and consulting fees during the second quarter."

Do the payments influence whether and which medicines doctors prescribe? Here's links to lists of some of the payments to doctors by three of America's biggest drugmakers:

GlaxoSmithKline: http://gsk-us.com/docs-pdf/responsibility/hcp-fee-disclosure-2q2009.pdf

Merck: http://www.merck.com/corporate-responsibility/docs/business-ethics-transparency/3Q09-Transparency-Report.pdf

Eli Lilly: http://www.lillyfacultyregistry.com/lilly-registry-report.jsp

More from the Journal here.
Posted by Joseph DiStefano @ 2:59 PM  Permalink | 11 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:46 PM, 12/17/2009
    If you know any sales reps within the industry it is my understanding that it is common knowledge that many times the docs don't even show up for the dinner talks. Yet payments are still routinely made to the doctors. A rep can’t get face time with the doctors to suggest they write certain brand prescriptions unless they go along with “the system.” The "talks" the doctors are paid to give and/or sit and listen to are designed to skirt around certain rules and regs put in place to prevent outright bribes of old, i.e., vacations, cash, etc. Of course the dinner/lecture payments influence the decisions that are being made. How about a news service producing some serious and concise in-depth reporting on the entire health care industry? For example, report how health care services are designed, sold, paid for, and how effective they are. How does the present day system compare to other systems? What are the benefits, drawbacks, and costs of each system? There seems to be so much designed white noise and empty rhetoric that it is surprising people feel they can understand anything about the topic of health care reform. What is being reformed and why? The only thing I feel comfortable saying is that some people are making money and others are being ripped off. However that seems to be the case in every line of business these days – and I don’t think that can be healthy for our culture and society.
    — 1stTimeCaller
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:22 PM, 12/17/2009
    Next time your doc hands you a Rx to fill, ask him/her if they are getting any kind of payments from a pharma co and see how thay act. It's time to put and end to the selling..... at benefit of the pharma and the MD and to the detriment of the patient. If a generic that costs me pennies can do the same as a new pill that costs me hundreds every month, am I being treated fairly, appropriately, ethically? I doubt it. But that MD can make his Mercedes payment every month.
    — Mark1npt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:19 PM, 12/17/2009
    America - only country that allows pharma advertising directly to uneducated consumers. When are you idiots going to figure it out? HEALTHCARE AND PROFITS DON'T WORK...Wow. Rocket science. What is the only way a "health care insurance giant" can make money? Uh, pay out less than it collects. We are 50th in life expectancy, paying 3X per capita. Guess we're 100x more stupid.
    — enabler1
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:59 PM, 12/17/2009
    enabler-This is one of the reasons why the premiums are so high. Because the consumer doesnt pay the actual cost the insurer does. For profit or Not, when the costs are higher to the insurer, the increases trickle down to those who are paying the premiums. And yes I think it is a bad practice to advertise directly to the consumer, especially when he/she is paying with someone else's money ( or so they think).
    — EMAGROUP
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:30 AM, 12/18/2009
    I always knew that doctors were getting some kind of kickback from drug companies. Our family doctor has always had advertisements for specific brand drugs in his office, prescribes those the most, and he always has freebies that he hands out. This is not breaking news to me. ________________________ Todd D Swimming Pool Tips Guy (HTML deleted)
    — ToddD0362
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:13 AM, 12/18/2009
    This is why we need Health Care System Reform - because too many providers are greedy - getting kickbacks from Big Pharma - and Labs, and MRI Centers. Some providers just k5eep ordering extra MRIs over and over again. --- But Most Disappointing was to see Senator Bob Casey and other 57 other Senators VOTE AGAINST Drug reimportation - because it is pretty ridiculous that a drug in the US for $300 could be bought in Canada for $90 - for the Exact Same Drug (same packaging, same manufacturing location). -- Shame on You Senator Casey - for voting against more affordable prescription drugs!
    — pal
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:37 PM, 12/18/2009
    I have a good Dr. he prescribes old drugs, that he says work better than the new ones. only problem is the pharmacy does not always have the old drugs in stock. so I have to wait a day or two. I would rather take an old tried and true drug that has been around for years. At least then we know the long term side effects
    — tammy2
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:03 PM, 12/18/2009
    While our family doc may prescribe a brand name drug, the pharmacy always gives me a generic, if available (my doc isn't on the list, but i don't begrudge them making a little extra cash). What has bothered me, during the supposedly "free-market" policies of the recent administration, was the resistance to drug reimportation, under the guise of safety concerns, for products made in the same plants for sale in different countries. Disingenuous.
    — zeebee
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:23 PM, 12/22/2009
    kdubs, if the insurance company paid $300,000 how much of the $500,000 did you pay? Or was the $300k the negotiated rate. While we are on the topic how much did you pay the insurance company last year in premiums? My guess is 1 or 2%. That is why it amazes me when people who have major surgeries still complain about the cost of insurance when they couldn't pay a lifetime or premiums to equal what the insurance company paid in claims for them.
    — ResponsibleAmerican
  • Comment removed.


11 comments
About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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