Behind the Curtain: Physicians receiving major compensation from drug firms
The median pay for a physician is $187,200 and that may sound like a lot. But some doctors are able to pull down significantly more extra compensation thanks to drug companies and medical device firms.
According to federal data obtained for my feature story in the Business Journal, physicians in South Florida received at least $200,000 in payments and services from drug companies and medical device firms in 2015. The question is whether those payments influenced their decisions on patient care.
Can a physician who receives tens of thousands of dollars from a drug company to travel, eat and speak at events have an open mind when comparing that company's product with its competitors?