Merck Follows Lilly, Announces It Will Disclose Speaking Fees to Physicians
Merck on Wednesday afternoon followed up Eli Lilly's morning announcement that Merck would start disclosing all fees paid to physicians for consulting and speaking in an online database by announcing that it would disclose the speaking fees it pays to physicians, the New York Times reports.According to the Times, the announcements come as lawmakers have begun pushing for the bipartisan Physician Payments Sunshine Act (HR 5605, S 2029), which would require such a registry. The Times reports that Senate investigations found prominent researchers at several institutions failed to report millions of dollars in outside income from pharmaceutical companies, contrary to the institutions' reporting policies.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who led the Senate investigations, through a spokesperson said, "Disclosing information about financial relationships between industry and doctors is a good thing, and this announcement contributes to transparency." He added, "My effort for broad-based transparency and accountability will continue because a uniform reporting requirement is needed to get the full picture."
Following the Leader
A Lilly spokesperson on Wednesday said the company hoped other drugmakers would follow its lead in disclosing payments to physicians. According to the Times, Merck was the only other company as of late Wednesday to do so.
A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson on Tuesday said that the company supports a revised version of the Sunshine Act and that it will begin by early 2009 disclosing payments for educational grants and to patient-advocacy organizations. An AstraZeneca spokesperson said that the company already has begun disclosing educational grants and payments to not-for-profit organizations but that it has not come to a decision "on other areas just yet." A Pfizer spokesperson said the company supports the Sunshine Act (Carey, New York Times, 9/25).
