Four out of five doctors surveyed said they let drug- and device-makers buy them food and drinks despite recent efforts to tighten ethics rules and avoid conflicts of interest.
The national survey also found that family doctors were more likely to meet with industry sales representatives, and that cardiologists were more likely to pocket fees than other specialists.
The study is the first to document the extent of the relationships between doctors and sales reps since 2002, when a leading industry group adopted voluntary guidelines discouraging companies from giving doctors gifts or tickets. In general, researchers found hardly anything had changed.
Consumer advocates say this is proof the new rules aren’t working.
“These findings are fairly disturbing. There appears to be no dialing back at all on these relationships,” said Merrill Goozner of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The survey, published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine, was done by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Yale University and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Researchers mailed questionnaires to 3,167 doctors around the nation in 2003 and 2004, and 1,662 replied. They included anesthesiologists, cardiologists, family doctors, surgeons, internists and pediatricians with experience ranging from less than 10 years to more than 30 years. Half were in private group practices, and the rest worked in hospitals and medical schools.
Responses were anonymous. About 95 percent said they had contact with drug or device companies.
Other findings:
Previous studies have suggested that cozy relationships with industry can affect doctors’ prescribing patterns and judgment. Companies have defended the practice as a legitimate way to educate physicians about the latest drugs and technology.
