Are drug companies paying your doctor? Find out with this database.

The investigative reporting project ProPublica has released a searchable database of MDs who take payola from drug companies. Are the drug companies paying your doctor, and possibly influencing his or her decisions about your medical needs? Search here: Dollars For Docs.

• [Anonymous]

  Of coarse this could be used to find doctors who are more willing to prescribe your facorite medicines.

• [Stefan Jones]

  Tsk tsk! This is the Free Market at work. Doctors are selling their reputation and souls at fair market value, and their patients are getting valuable free information on exciting new products.

  I myself have taken advantage of my doctor’s expertise by trying out a presecription for NoFuckingShamerol, which reduces the anxieties that stem from living in a culture dominated by corporations who have learned to short-circuit the bonds of trust and care between humans.

• [Rathskellar]

  I work as a research coordinator at a private medical practice. The doctor there is performing cutting-edge research in osteopathic allergy medicine, which centers around a new method of approaching disease treatment that could significantly change treatment and medication practices.

  Due to this, he quite frequently is called upon to give talks to pharmaceutical representatives and bodies of physicians on both drugs and his research. Yet he shows up as having accepted $4000 from pharmaceutical companies. Why? Because he “dared” to accept a position as a convention speaker? Because he dared to accept “payola” from the big bad pharmaceutical companies? Many of the comments thus far would argue strongly that taking this money is tantamount to corruption.

  Most of all, he dared to do something to further research and understanding of diseases, and take compensation for his time. As a reward, he now has to worry about potential malpractice cases based on allegations of conflicting interest due to a site that alleges impropriety for behavior standard in the medical industry, and one that is not fundamentally illegal.

  I don’t disagree with the rationale, but with the methodology of the creators of the site. There were many physicians who were transgressing on the bounds of their oath and profession, but this is/was handled by the AMA/state boards and the judicial system, not by online databases or by public outrage.

  I speak out so vitriolically because the site gives such a scant amelioration of its condemnation. The news post fails to even supply that much. The information released in the database should have been properly framed so as to avoid injurious harm to those undeserving.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    There’s nothing wrong with being a prostitute, but don’t pretend that you’re screwing your john because you’re in love with him. You’re doing it for the money.

• [knodi]

  Yikes. My doctor took 7500 from calphalon (don’t they make pots and pans?).

  It’s upsetting, but my doc has never prescribed me anything but antibiotics, prescription-strength ibuprofen, and once an anti-nauseal. So I suppose I probably haven’t been the specific recipient of corrupt medical advice.

  Ugh.

  • [Anonymous]

    Most of the payola goes toward psychiatric medications (e.g. Lexapro) and not things like antibiotics.

• [knodi]

  Ya know, I wish this information wasn’t public. In the same way that I don’t want to know whether there are roaches roaming my kitchen at night.

• [Anonymous]

  This would have really bothered me at one time, but not anymore. My doctor prescribed Fuckidol. Now I don’t care about anything. Fuckidol.

• [Anonymous]

  I am a doctor and have NEVER been offered anything by a drug company except maybe a refigerator magnet!

• [grimc]

  Just listened to the NPR story on this (I think NPR was one of the co-sponsors of the report) and there are a couple details that are good to know:

  - The data is from 7 companies (that are being sued and had to release the info), while there are about 80 companies that do this;
  - Hundreds of the doctors on the list have been previously disciplined by their state boards, and were paid to speak on topics they were not credentialled for.

  NPR story here.