Medical Corruption or What? ***

Have you ever pondered the fact that you and many you know all take certain drugs for the same ailments? Well, this news article might help to clarify the why. Who in their right mind would turn down the opportunity to accrue $500 an hour for sitting on their rump?  ! I'd like to know their hourly fee before the congressional investigation.

No wonder my doctor fired me for refusing her choice of drugs (She stated: never mind the side effects, you need it). I imagine she had a certain quota of 'specific drugs prescribed' to meet or she wouldn't get her bonus; whether they harmed a patient or not. Now I understand why I saw so many salesmen with their bags of samples each appointment I kept. When new drugs come out, patients are literally guinea pigs until safety or the lack of is established. If one doesn't work, another is prescribed to 'try' and see how it works. I've thought about this a lot. Read on.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Corruption of physicians by Big Pharma now "limited" to $500 an hour

NaturalNews) Congressional investigation over the unethical relationships between doctors and drug companies has led to a change in policy at Partners HealthCare, a Boston based hospital system affiliated with Harvard Medical School, that prohibits its physicians who sit on the boards of various biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies from receiving company stock and unlimited fees for their presence. They are now limited to only $500 an hour, or $5,000 a day, for their services which include things like attending board meetings.

The fact that about 25 vice presidents, clinical department heads, and other top executives in the system will be affected by this new rule illustrates the degree to which the medical system has been influenced by pharmaceutical interests. Physicians from top medical centers, including academic ones, often join the ranks of drug companies and are paid top dollar to push various drugs and treatments. They are even paid with company stock.

This blatant conflict of interest is not isolated to Partners, as many different organizations and academic institutions have come under fire by state regulators, Congress, and even hospitals themselves for allowing this practice to occur. Nationally, there has been a heavy push to stop the drug industry's control over doctors whether it be through perks, incentives or comfortable board positions.

The new policy at Partners prohibits doctors from touring the nation as paid drug company spokesmen, a practice commonly utilized by drug companies to promote their products. Partners will not, however, ban its physicians from working for drug companies altogether. They will still be allowed to sit on their boards and receive compensation - it will merely be "reduced" to $500 per hour.

It is virtually impossible for a physician to be both a physician and an executive for a drug company. For the drug company, he will be responsible for helping it achieve financial success, while for the hospital, he will be responsible for objectively treating patients. A physician cannot objectively treat a patient while at the same time be paid to use a company's drugs to treat that patient.

According to Dr. Dennis Auseillo, chief scientific officer at Partners and cochairman of drug-giant Pfizer's science and technology committee, all drug companies have at least a couple physicians on their boards. After being named a director of Pfizer in 2006 himself, Auseillo has received over $700,000 in company stocks and compensation. He plans to continue working for Pfizer under the new rules.

Sources for this story include: http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...