Saturday, May 30, 2009

Pharma Payola - West Virginia style

Disgustingly, West Virginia doctors took 15,382 goodies worth millions during 2008 from pharmaceutical manufacturers trying to induce the physicians to prescribe their high-priced brands.

Since the state has only 5,152 licensed doctors and nurse-practitioners, and since some physicians refuse such gifts, it's obvious that many other doctors raked in multiple "inducements."

But West Virginia patients can't learn whether their physicians are among the payola-takers, because the state's Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council voted to hide the names of doctors getting more than $10,000 a year each. Thank heaven, the worthless council is being abolished, and its duties may be switched to a new agency to be created in the current special legislative session.

The first -- and last -- full-year disclosure report by the council was released Thursday. It listed five anonymous doctor payments over $100,000 each, including one above $125,000 to an unnamed physician who makes international talks promoting a prescription brand. The report also included 42 anonymous payments above $20,000 and 574 above $2,500. The great majority, 14,808 nameless payments, were below $2,500. However, it's clear that some doctors got several of these handouts.

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1 comment:

PharmaGuy said...

From the data reported in the press, I estimate that the average payout to WV physicians who received pharma money was $3,019. Check my math on Pharma Marketing Blog: "Drug Companies Bedazzle Docs in the Boondocks with Gifts, Free Lunches, and Speaking Fees!" http://tinyurl.com/n3axd3