A new large-scale national study shows that one in five family doctors are getting payoffs from the makers of Big Pharma’s deadliest product… Opioid painkillers.
Opioid overdoses now kill some 65,000 Americans a year. But that is not stopping large drug companies from being more aggressive than ever in pushing their addictive pain pills.1
The study found that opioid sellers spread $46 million in payments to doctors over a recent two-year period. Research shows that when a drug company pays doctors, the physicians prescribe more of the firm’s medications.
The payments “add up to a shocking number and may have a wide-reaching influence on physician behavior,” said Dr. Scott Hadland. He’s a pediatrician and adolescent addiction specialist at the Brown University School of Public health. Dr. Hadland led the study.2
The research was published recently in the American Journal of Public Health.
Big Pharma to America: Drop Dead
Addiction experts have railed against these payments for years, saying they do nothing but help opioids get into the hands of unsuspecting patients who are overpowered by the addictiveness of the drugs.
But Big Pharma listens to only one thing…the “ka-ching” of cash.
In 2015, the last year finalized financial numbers are available, drug companies hauled in over $19 billion from selling opioids. That means Big Pharma made about $950,000 for every person its pain pills killed.3
While the federal government refuses to act, states are fighting back. California is considering legislation that essentially bans drug companies from giving direct payments to doctors.
Maine has joined the fight. In one year, payments to Maine doctors from drug companies doubled…and deaths from opioid overdoses rose 40%. A bill capping gifts to doctors is in the works.
Is Your Doctor Taking Big Pharma Payoffs?
Until Big Pharma bribes are outlawed in your state, there’s one thing you can do to protect yourself… Check to see if your doctor is on the take.
The non-profit newsroom ProPublica, a consumer watchdog organization, tracks Big Pharma’s payments. Simply go to the site and type in your doctor’s name and the state in which he or she practices.4
You’ll instantly see if they’re on Big Pharma’s payroll. It will tell you exactly how much your doctor has been paid and where payments came from.5
The last thing you should be worried about it is whether your doctor is choosing the best medication for your health…or the one that will bring a fat check from Big Pharma.
Editor’s Note: Opioids are far from the only risky medications pushed by Big Pharma. We list others in our special report, The Top 10 Dangerous Pharmaceutical Drugs—And Their Natural Alternatives. It’s an important read for you and your family.
Get all the details HERE.
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References:
1 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/7/15925488/opioid-epidemic-deaths-2016
2 https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/bumc-1i1080917.php
3 https://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf
4 https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
5 https://www.institutefornaturalhealing.com/2017/04/just-one-day-opioid-drug-can-turn-addict/