Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16688

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Hopkins Tanne J
Merck discloses $3.7m paid to US doctors for speeches over three months
BMJ 2009 Oct 26; 339:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/339/oct26_1/b4409

Abstract:

Merck listed $3.7m in payments to US medical experts for speaking on behalf of the company or its products between 1 July and 30 September of this year. It followed Eli Lilly in disclosing payments to doctors who speak for companies.

Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline have promised to make similar disclosures, according to the Associated Press news agency (www.ap.org, 19 Oct 2009, “Merck starts revealing payments to doctor-speakers”).

The list on Merck’s website discloses payments to 1078 doctors and other experts who took part in Merck speaking engagements during July-September. The list includes the names of the individuals, the number of events at which they spoke, the payments they received, and the general topics on which they spoke (such as “diabetes,” “HPV,” or “respiratory”).

Merck said in a press statement: “On average, speakers participated in two programmes each with the average payment totaling $1548 per programme.”

Merck said that . . .