According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 94% of doctors in America have a “relationship” with a pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturer. That’s not so surprising since those manufacturers spend $20 billion every year marketing directly to doctors. Kind of makes you wonder if those medications or medical devices being prescribed for you are being done so because they are the best alternative for your condition or because of that “relationship” with the manufacturers. I want to believe that the medicine I’m getting is the one my doctor thinks is best to cure what ails me, not that it’s his favorite pharmaceutical company’s latest heavily promoted drug.
Last year a consumer survey found that 68% supported legislation requiring public disclosure of financial relationships between physicians and industry. 78% believed that doctors who accepted gifts from the pharmaceutical industry were influenced to prescribe certain drugs. The problem is that everyone wants to trust his/her doctor and only 34% said they would be likely to ask their doctors about the troubling financial ties. Patients feel awkward about questioning their doctor and are not likely to create negativity or alienate them.
To address the ever-increasing reach of the giant companies, Sens. Herb Kohl (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have introduced the Physician Payments Sunshine Act which would require all payments more than $100 made by a drug or medical device company to a doctor be reported. These payments have been characterized as “research” or “gifts” in the past.
You can bet the big pharma/medical lobbyists will fight passage of this proposed legislation. They will cloak their opposition to this change by trying to hide behind their standard mantras of doctor/patient confidentiality and interference with medical research. This bill would eliminate the transparency problem and benefit patients who are unlikely to challenge their doctors for the greater public good. We should urge our elected representatives to support the Sunshine Act.
