NOVEMBER 5, 2008

UPDATE ON PHYSICIAN CORRUPTION BY PHARMA

In today's issue of JAMAthere is a letter to the editor by Ross et al describing the results of a study of payments to physicians by drug companies in the State of Vermont, which has a law requiring disclosure of these payments. Physicians got a total of 21,409 payments in a two year period totalling $4.9 million, 56% of which was designated "trade secret". The authors were able to obtain details of these so called "trade secret" payments only through litigation and extensive efforts. However the "trade secret" information turned out to be payments for talks, education, and dinners.

Hands in the cookie jar











How do those things count as trade secrets?

Why are they trying to keep these payments a secret?

Why can't physicians just pay for their own talks anyway?

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