Conflicts of Interest—Influencing Doctors for the Price of a Meal

In a 2016 JAMA Internal Medicine report, the authors compared meal payments to doctors with the drugs they prescribed to Medicare patients.

Not surprisingly, they found that physicians who accept free meals from a drug company are more likely to prescribe that company’s brand name drugs rather than cheaper (and usually more proven) generic drugs. This study only focused on physicians who received meals.

Even doctors who accepted only one free meal were more likely to prescribe the brand name drug. Doctors who accepted four or more meals were far more likely to prescribe brand name drugs than doctors who accepted no meals. Furthermore, doctors who accepted more expensive meals prescribed more brand name drugs.

Steer Clear of Conflicts of Interest

Studies have found that when there is a conflict of interest, it is almost impossible for even well-meaning people to see things objectively.

Dr. Dan Ariely of Duke University described how, if a doctor must choose between two procedures, they are likely to pick the one that has the better outcome for their bottom line (i.e. financial benefit).

“That doesn’t mean the doctor is unethical…it just means he is human. We truly seem to not realize how corrosive conflicts of interest are to honesty and objectivity.”

He advocates that we steer clear of people and organizations with conflicts of interest “because it does not appear to be possible to overcome conflicts of interest.”

When to be Suspicious of Doctors

Doctors are only human. They may not realize a conflict of interest is affecting their recommendations. So be suspicious if your doctor tells you:

• to take an expensive new drug
• to just “live with your A-Fib”
• insists that catheter ablation is too dangerous or unproven
• that A-Fib can’t be cured
• that you have to take drugs for the rest of your life

If this happens to you, RUN, DON’T WALK and get a second opinion (and even a third opinion).

In today’s world, you have to do your own due diligence. You know what makes sense and what doesn’t.

For more, see my article: EP’s Million Dollar Club—Are Payments to Doctors Buying Influence?\