The New York Times has a terrific and troubling story on doctors who have been disciplined or criticized by a medical board but later paid by drugmakers. The Times reports:
"An analysis of state records by the New York Times found more than 100 such doctors in Minnesota, at least two with criminal fraud convictions. While Minnesota is the only state to make its records publicly available, the problem, experts say, is national."
One physician profiled, whose license was suspended for seven months and restricted for two years, has been paid by at least a dozen drugmakers after these disciplinary actions.
One expert interviewed in the story said:
"Clinical trial investigators must be culled from only the finest physicians in the country since they work on the frontiers of new knowledge. That drugmakers are scraping the bottom of the medical barrel is an outrage."Posted by schwitz at June 3, 2007 10:23 AM | TrackBack