In bed with big pharma: Corruption fears as report finds US doctors received ... trends now
Almost six in ten doctors in the US received more than $12 billion in payments from pharma firms in the past decade, an analysis has revealed.
A study by researchers at Yale University found that 57 percent of doctors earned the huge sums from manufacturers in relation to medical drugs or devices between 2013 and 2022.
Most of the money was for consulting services or fees for things such as serving as a speaker at a venue, but the physicians also received large amounts of money for food and beverages and gifts.
Orthopedic surgeons were found to receive the largest total sum of payments, at $1.36bn, and the most common drugs related to payments were blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis.
One medical device found to be in the top five medical devices related to industry payments was Impella, a device used in some types of heart surgery.
Some Impella devices were recalled in December by the FDA due to a perforation risk which 'may cause serious injuries or death.'
'Despite evidence that financial conflicts of interest may influence physician prescribing and may damage patients' trust in medical professionals, such payments remain pervasive,' the researchers wrote.
Orthopedic surgeons were found to receive the largest total sum of payments, at $1.36bn
The drugs related to the highest industry payments were blood thinners rivaroxaban (brand name Xarelto) and apixaban (brand name Eliquis) used to prevent blood clots and stroke in people with atrial fibrillation
The researchers used data from the Open
