More than $11 billion is spent each year by pharmaceutical companies in promotion and marketing, $5 billion of which goes to sales representatives. It has been estimated that $8000 to $13,000 is pent per year on each physician. Perhaps the intensity of the discussion is related to the potential consequences were it confirmed that gifts influence prescription of medication that results in increasing cost of negative health outcomes. Doctors Should Not Have Financial Interest in Drugs They Research or Prescribe Researching and practicing physicians should divest themselves of direct financial ties with pharmaceutical companies, according to ABCNEWS� Dr. Timothy Johnson Commentary By Dr. Timothy Johnson June 2 � How close should relationships between pharmaceutical companies and physicians be? It is a thorny question that I think should be answered in a way that keeps doctors as �pure� as they could be. The problem of financial conflicts of interest in medical research became news again this week as it was revealed that the new editor of a prominent journal had rather close relations to drug firms. Editor Tied to Industry The newly appointed editor of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has had extensive ties with the pharmaceutical industry during his distinguished career as a medical researcher in the field of asthma and related lung disorders. Specifically, Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, scheduled to become editor of the Journal on July 1, has acknowledged that he has had financial relationships, including stock ownership and/or consulting roles, with at least 21 drug companies since 1994. In one instance, a consulting relationship resulted in comments of support for a particular drug by Dr. Drazen that were later judged by the Food and Drug Administration to be �false and misleading.� ������������������������������������ Hospital Infections ATLANTA March 5, 2000 (Reuters) - Infections that patients catch while hospitalized for other health problems add almost $5 billion to the cost of U.S. health care every year, a federal health agency said Sunday. ��������������������������������������� Birth Defects Rising In The US, Environmental Toxicity Suspected Rates of birth defects, pre-term births and low birth weight babies have been rising steadily since the mid-1980s, in spite of increased efforts at prevention. This observation comes from a study of 8-year data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control from 1989 through 1996, conducted by the Pew Environmental Health Commission at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, in conjunction with the March of Dimes. Researchers believe that evidence is mounting that environmental factor, such as toxins in the air and water, and personal behavior, such as smoking and drinking during pregnancy, may account for the rise in birth defects and chronic developmental disabilities observed. ����������������������������������� U.S. Rated 1st. in Health Care Spending and 37th Overall in the World More money is spent per person in the U.S. for health care than in any other country in the world, but unfortunately the U.S. is ranked 37th in the world on the quality of health systems according to the World Health Organization. |
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