PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Drug rep interaction widespread

Quick View. June 11, 2007.

Nearly every physician has accepted something from a manufacturer of drugs or devices.

A recent survey of 1,651 doctors in six specialties found that 78% of physicians accepted drug samples; 83% accepted gifts such as free lunches in the office or tickets to ballgames; 35% were reimbursed for continuing medical education expenses; and 28% were paid for consulting, speaking, serving on advisory boards or enrolling patients in clinical trials.

Of the doctors surveyed, 94% had at least one of these encounters. But according to the study's multivariate regression analysis, the degree to which physicians accepted samples, gifts, reimbursements or other payments varied by specialty.

This information and the accompanying full-text visual aids were drawn from the following source:

"A National Survey of Physician-Industry Relationships," New England Journal of Medicine, April 26.

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