Expensive gifts and cash are routinely given to doctors by pharmaceutical companies, and even in states where such payments must be disclosed, loopholes allow the largesse to be shielded from public view, according to a report on how the pharmaceutical industry influences the practice of medicine.
Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, a watchdog organization in Washington, D.C., said that despite disclosure laws in five states, gifts still escape the public radar.
Lurie added that it's important for consumers to know what kinds of gifts doctors receive because they may have a bearing on the kind of medication and care the physician offers.
Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, a watchdog organization in Washington, D.C., said that despite disclosure laws in five states, gifts still escape the public radar.
Lurie added that it's important for consumers to know what kinds of gifts doctors receive because they may have a bearing on the kind of medication and care the physician offers.
"A patient may wish to look up the name of a doctor and determine whether that doctor is taking a large amount of money from pharmaceutical companies," Lurie said.
Details of his research are reported in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.
More at Newsday
Details of his research are reported in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.
More at Newsday
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