Drug Companies' Disclosure Of Payments Efforts Criticized As Half-Hearted
Either as the result of pressure or in some cases out of requirement as part of settlements of federal criminal investigations into illegal marketing of drugs, drug manufacturers have begun disclosing payments they make to doctors acting as speakers or consultants. However, those who follow the industry say the disclosures are oftentimes problematic and purposefully made difficult to examine.
Critics say that it sometimes requires very tedious work to extract and make use of the information being disclosed. As an example, in March, one of the biggest drug makers, Pfizer, disclosed $35 million of payments for June 2009 through December 2009, but refused to identify the biggest doctor recipient. Only after exporting the information disclosed by Pfizer could one media outlet identify that doctor, a California anesthesiologist, who received $146,500 during that timeframe for leading forums, whatever that means.
Because sunshine is the best disinfectant, the federal government passed the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, which takes effect beginning in 2013. It requires all drug and medical device makers to maintain these databases, and strict disclosure requirements intended to make the disclosures more transparent and meaningful.
Dangerous and defective drugs are responsible for many injuries and death nationwide. Our profession calls this area of law products liability. Consulting a lawyer experienced in handling dangerous drug cases is usually easy. Most lawyers will provide a complimentary initial consultation to evaluate a claim or case and let the person know if they can help.
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