Billions in Drug and Medical Device Company Payments to Medical Specialists May Compromise Patient Care, Reports Show

U.S. medical specialists, from neurosurgeons to anesthesiologists and oncologists, received billions of dollars worth of individual payments not related to research from pharmaceutical and medical device industries in recent years, a series of new studies show.

The payments raise concerns among researchers and public health advocates about how industry influence may negatively impact patient care.

The American Medical Association’s “Sunshine Act data release: Talking points for physicians” suggests maintaining industry relationships, including company-funded medical education, does not necessarily mean that physicians’ judgment has been inappropriately influenced.