In 2010, 11 drug makers, including New Jersey-based Merck and Johnson & Johnson, paid out more than $446 million to doctors across the country, according to the news organization ProPublica. Collectively, thousands of physicians in New Jersey received $12.4 million from the companies. In California, the drug makers doled out $53.5 million to physicians and $36.7 million to doctors in New York, ProPublica’s analysis showed.
"All the questions that have been raised over the years still remain,’’ said Allan Coukell, director of medical programs at Pew Health Group in Washington D.C. "We absolutely think if a physician finds it useful to talk to companies about their products they should do that. The problem is when those talks are associated with a gift or pay of some kind.’’
In the past, the practice of pharmaceutical companies paying speaking fees to physicians was largely secret, but as a result of court agreements to settle allegations of fraudulent marketing activities, many of the largest drug makers started detailing their relationships with medical professionals. And since last year, the information filed by the companies has been analyzed annually by ProPublica, the non-profit news organization. (Más)
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