FOX 5 Special: Dollars for Docs

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FOX 5 Special: Dollars for Docs

Updated: Thursday, 11 Feb 2010, 8:05 AM EST

Published : Thursday, 11 Feb 2010, 7:18 AM EST

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/fox-5-special%3A-dollars-for-docs-021010

Beth

Galvin

Reported By: Beth Galvin | Edited By: Leigha Baugham

Nearly 20 percent of American doctors get paid by drug companies to be

consultants or speakers, and in some cases, they're making quite a lot of money.

So does that influence the decisions your doctor makes about your care?

Doctors earn money by giving professional talks to their peers about the latest

research and the practice is pretty common.

For years it's been unclear how much money physicians were actually earning for

these speeches. Now, three major drug companies are going public revealing who

is on their payrolls and how much money they're making.

On Eli Lilly's website, the company lists faculty on the drug company's

payrolls, including educators, advisors and contractors.

Nearly 200 Georgia doctors are on the list and they pulled in over $2.2 million

dollars last year.

Some of Georgia's highest paid physicians on the list are Emory urologist Dr.

Muta Issa, who earned $ 91,000 from GlaxoKline. Atlanta endocrinologist Dr.

on cashed in over $78,000 from Eli Lilly and Roswell psychiatrist

Dr. Banov banked over $68,000 from Eli Lilly.

Some healthcare providers are earning much more by working for several companies

at the same time.

" It's common, that people who are very active, can make several hundred thousand

dollars or more, " said Emory psychiatrist, Dr. Doug Bremner.

" We don't sell medications. We simply educate physicians about data, and they

make their own mind up, " said Dr. Banov.

Dr. Banov, a private practice psychiatrist, was paid over $68,000 by Eli Lilly.

The Roswell doctor said he gives speeches for about five companies with

competing medications.

" I think my patients welcome the fact they have a doctor who is meeting other

doctors, actively involved in research, actively communicating with other

physicians, someone who's on top of the game, " Dr. Banov said.

Dr. Banov said the drug company, not him, creates the materials used in his

speeches, and he also said there's a reason for that. " We are only able to

present the data. We're not able to present our personal opinions, our personal

preferences, how we use the medication off label, any of that. So we're held to

a very tight standard by the FDA. "

Emory's Dr. Bremner said he thought paying doctors to speak for drug makers was

a bad idea. Bremner said he used to do it, until he got a wakeup call about six

years ago.

" I was going out to give a talk and the sales, the marketing guy like, slapped

me on the back and said, 'Go on out there and sell some,' I'm not going to say

the name of the drug. 'Sell some of that drug,' " said Dr. Bremner.

Dr. Bremner said he worried that even the most independent doctor can get hooked

on all that extra cash coming in. " Doctors are human, and once you get into this

routine of making outside income, you become dependent on it. "

When asked how receiving money from the drug companies could from influencing

how a doctor treats a patient, Dr. Banov said, " When I close that door, and I'm

with a patient, my 100 percent interest is in getting that patient better. "

Last fall, Emory University's School of Medicine banned staffers from making

promotional talks for drug companies after congressional investigators accused

the school's chief of psychiatry, Dr. Nemeroff of failing to report to

the university over a million dollars he got from pharmaceutical and medical

device manufacturers.

Dr. Nemeroff resigned his chairmanship, and has since left the school.

Another Emory staffer, urologist Dr. Issa listed his earnings as $91,000 in the

first three months of 2009 from GlaxoKline. Dr. Issa declined to comment on

this story. A school spokesperson said Dr. Issa left the speaker's bureau when

Emory changed its policies.

Atlanta diabetes specialist Dr. on, who earned $78,000 for giving

47 promotional talks for Eli Lilly, said he only speaks about medications he

actually prescribes.

" I think a presentation a physician makes should represent their own practice, "

said Dr. on. The doctor did admit that some physicians spend too much

time promoting too many products. " That's bad for everyone. That's bad for the

pharmaceutical companies, that's bad for physicians as a profession and that's

bad probably for physicians as recipients of information because they become

mistrustful. "

So are public lists like this a good thing?

Doctors on both sides say yes.

" I think it's gotten to the point where the public is looking at it for what it

is and they're saying, 'What's going on here?' " said Dr. Bremner.

" Why not let the public know? There is nothing to hide. There is no shame. We're

not doing anything illegal, " said Dr. Banov. " I think it's terrific. [it] should

be completely open. "

So far, GlaxoKline, Eli Lilly and Merck have published online lists of

who's on their payroll. Pfizer will be doing the same this spring.