Editorials Address Pharmaceutical Companies’ Announcements To Disclose Some Physician Payments
Two newspapers recently published editorials addressing Eli Lilly and Merck's announcements last week that they will publicly disclose some fees paid to physicians beginning next year. Summaries of the editorials appear below.
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Bergen Record: "On the surface, it's hard to dispute" the announcements made by Lilly and Merck "as attempts by public-spirited companies to boost transparency and enhance consumer access to information affecting the quality of their health care," but as support gathers for the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (HR 5605, S 2029), "the announcements appear to be little more than pre-emptive public relations moves," a Record editorial states. According to the Record, the legislation "would significantly empower patients ... by providing them a central, uniform clearinghouse where they could easily determine what their doctor has received for what and from whom." The Record continues, "Controversy ... persists over whether the reporting threshold should be $25, as medical consumer groups are demanding, or $500, which the industry favors." The editorial concludes, "Limited voluntary disclosure by Lilly, Merck or any other drug giant undercuts the system's integrity," adding, "Reporting must be as complete as possible to serve patients' interests" (Bergen Record, 9/29).
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New York Times: Merck and Lilly "fell short of complete disclosure and the industry as a whole lags behind," a Times editorial states, adding, "Legislation to establish a wide-ranging nationwide reporting system is still needed." The Times writes, "Patients need to know that doctors are prescribing particular drugs for sound medical reasons -- not because drug companies have bought their doctors' loyalty." The editorial continues, Lilly and Merck's "pledges are a step in the right direction and ought to be emulated by all other pharmaceutical companies," but "voluntary piecemeal disclosures are not enough." According to the editorial, "The next Congress should move quickly to pass" the bipartisan Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which would establish a mandatory national registry of all payments and gifts paid to physicians by drug, medical device, medical supply and biological medicine companies. The Times concludes, "Patients have a right to know who else is paying their doctors and why" (New York Times, 9/28).
