Surgeons' ties to device manufacturers under investigation
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《英国医生杂志》
The US Justice Department is investigating the financial ties between orthopaedic surgeons and companies that sell medical devices. Some leading surgical device manufacturers last week said that they had received subpoenas from the department requesting extensive details about their payments to surgeons.
According to the companies that received them, the subpoenas asked for any and all consulting contracts, professional service agreements, or remuneration agreements with surgeons, trainee surgeons, or medical school graduates who use hip or knee replacement devices.
The Justice Department抯 national investigation is being run from Newark, New Jersey, and will widen public concerns about the financial relationships between doctors and companies which are active in healthcare markets.
The investigation is believed to be targeting at least three large companies, including DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, and Stryker, one of the world抯 leading device makers, which has a market worth more than $17bn (?bn; �13bn). Stryker抯 share price fell by almost 10% after the announcement of the subpoenas. All the companies have said that they will cooperate fully with the Justice Department.
Drug companies have extensive ties to doctors, through payments for research, speaking, consulting, and educating. Device makers also often engage and pay surgeons to help develop new technologies and to educate their peers about how to use them. Roughly one half of the more than $1bn spent on medical education in the United States every year is estimated to come from drug companies and device manufacturers.
Although the exact nature of the Justice Department抯 investigation is unclear, the authorities may be examining whether these relationships are appropriate and to what extent surgeons and trainee surgeons are in effect receiving sweeteners from companies for using or promoting specific products.
Merrill Goozner, director of integrity in science at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC, told the BMJ that he was unaware of the details of the investigation but said that evidence of inappropriate closeness between device manufacturers and doctors was widespread. Mr Goozner argued that commercial sources of funding of medical education should be replaced by independent sources. He went on to say that doctors with ties to drug or device manufacturers should not sit on regulatory advisory panels assessing safety and effectiveness. "We have to get the financial self interest out of the system," he said.(Washington, DC Ray Moynihan)
According to the companies that received them, the subpoenas asked for any and all consulting contracts, professional service agreements, or remuneration agreements with surgeons, trainee surgeons, or medical school graduates who use hip or knee replacement devices.
The Justice Department抯 national investigation is being run from Newark, New Jersey, and will widen public concerns about the financial relationships between doctors and companies which are active in healthcare markets.
The investigation is believed to be targeting at least three large companies, including DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, and Stryker, one of the world抯 leading device makers, which has a market worth more than $17bn (?bn; �13bn). Stryker抯 share price fell by almost 10% after the announcement of the subpoenas. All the companies have said that they will cooperate fully with the Justice Department.
Drug companies have extensive ties to doctors, through payments for research, speaking, consulting, and educating. Device makers also often engage and pay surgeons to help develop new technologies and to educate their peers about how to use them. Roughly one half of the more than $1bn spent on medical education in the United States every year is estimated to come from drug companies and device manufacturers.
Although the exact nature of the Justice Department抯 investigation is unclear, the authorities may be examining whether these relationships are appropriate and to what extent surgeons and trainee surgeons are in effect receiving sweeteners from companies for using or promoting specific products.
Merrill Goozner, director of integrity in science at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC, told the BMJ that he was unaware of the details of the investigation but said that evidence of inappropriate closeness between device manufacturers and doctors was widespread. Mr Goozner argued that commercial sources of funding of medical education should be replaced by independent sources. He went on to say that doctors with ties to drug or device manufacturers should not sit on regulatory advisory panels assessing safety and effectiveness. "We have to get the financial self interest out of the system," he said.(Washington, DC Ray Moynihan)