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Area doctors paid $125K from drug companies

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By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer Updated 12:46 AM Thursday, October 29, 2009

DAYTON — Pharmaceutical companies have begun publicly disclosing payments they make to physicians and other health-care professionals for speaker fees, educational services and consulting.

In the Miami Valley, at least 28 physicians and health-care professionals — or groups with which they are associated — received $125,000 in payments during three-month periods from Eli Lilly & Co. and Merck & Co. (Lilly’s payments are for the first quarter of 2009, while Merck’s are for the third quarter of 2009.) More than $90,000 of those payments went to nine physicians.

Top local recipients during those three-month periods include the Institute for Psychiatric Education in Dayton and Dr. Amita Patel ($32,400); and Skyedancer, LP and Dr. Lisa Lichota of the Pain Evaluation & Management Center of Ohio in Centerville ($19,500). Neither returned calls seeking comment on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Lilly began disclosing its payments July 31 at lillyfacultyregistry.com. It paid out about $22 million nationwide for the first quarter of 2009. Merck & Co. began voluntarily disclosing its payments on Oct. 19 at merck.com/corporate-responsibility; its third-quarter payout was about $3.7 million nationwide. Other drug companies are expected to follow suit.

The disclosures are part of the pharmaceutical industry’s push to be more transparent, Eli Lilly and Merck said. They are supporting a federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act that would create uniform standards for disclosing relationships between the industry and doctors.

Lilly spokeswoman Carole Puls also said the Indianapolis-based firm is required to make the quarterly disclosures as part of a “corporate integrity agreement” reached with the U.S. Office of Inspector General.

Lilly and Merck said doctors have been largely supportive of the move.

Merck spokesman Ronald Rogers noted company-sponsored events for doctors play an important role in medical education.

Dr. Lawrence Mieczkowski, an internist in Kettering who specializes in cardiometabolic disorders and received $4,225 in payments from Merck during the third quarter of 2009 for diabetes education, said he favors the disclosures to stem abuse. But he said doctors like himself need honorariums when educating their peers to make up for lost time with patients.

The content of presentations is highly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, he noted, adding that he doesn’t work with drug companies that try to influence his message.

“I’ve declined to work with companies that have that attitude,” Mieczkowski said. “When I’m speaking on a particular company’s products, I’m going to talk about other companies’ products as well.”

The disclosures are a positive development, said Bill Hayes, president of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

“We always have to be careful that if someone’s getting money from working with any vendor that it’s not resulting in them giving advice that might be limited and ignoring legitimate other options,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7457 or bsutherly@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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#4 Senator Jay Rockefeller-(D W. Va.) is worth $80.4 million.
#5 Congressman Jared Polis-(D Colo.) is worth $71.2 million. #6 Congressman Vern Buchanan-(R Fla.) is worth $50.2 million. #7 Senator Diane Feinstein-(D Calif.) is worth $43.6 million. #8 Congressman Harry Teague-(D N.Mex.) is worth $40.3 million. #9 Congressman Michael McCaul-(R Tex.) is worth $38.2 million. #10 Congressman Alan Grayson-(D Fla.) is worth $31 million

Leslie
12:21 PM, 10/30/2009

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Jim, you are spreading the democratic myth not FACTS. According to the Hill’s yearly ‘50 Rich List’ 7 of the 10 lawmakers are Democrats. However, of the 50; 24 are Republicans and 26 are Democrats.#1 Senator John KerryJohn Kerry-(D Mass.) is worth $167.8 million with his wife/ $750 million. #2 Congressman Darrell IssaDarrell Issa-(R Calif.) is worth $164.8 million. #3 Congresswoman Jane Harmon-(D Calif.) is worth $112.2 million.

Leslie
12:20 PM, 10/30/2009

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This is just another example of something that our government should be changing in healthcare instead of taking over our healthcare! These pharmaceutical companies are basically lobbying doctors and influencing the drugs they prescribe so their companies can enhance their bottom line!
Americans should have a right to know if their doctor is being lobbied by a particular drug company and how it is effecting the medication they prescribe!

Mel
8:31 AM, 10/30/2009

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Christine,
Where are you getting your facts? Are you making them up? Obama owned one car, and one house. He lived in a 3,000 square foot condo while he paid off his student loans. Obama is hardly a multi millionaire, although he might be getting close. Clinton AND Obama both grew up on the wrong sides of the tracks, and were very poor.I suggest you check your facts about Presidents who were born into wealth, like Bush. Obama and Clinton grew up up poor, and worked their way to the top.

Jim
7:38 PM, 10/29/2009

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This is just another disappointing example why we need to change the business of health care.President Obama is for the American people and not for rich fat cat republicans.

Juice Guy
7:32 PM, 10/29/2009

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