Why The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is So Important

A New York Times editorial published yesterday, “Whose Best Interest?” called upon all pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily participate in an online database of all payments made to doctors for speaking and consulting services. They also stated their support for a Senate bill, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which would establish a mandatory national registry of payments of all kinds to physicians – including gifts, payment for clinical investigations and stock options .

Why is this important to menopausal women?

If you are considering hormone replacement therapy and looking to your physician, the findings of clinical research studies, or organizations like The North American Menopause Society for guidance about its safety, it is important to know if their opinions and recommendations are influenced or “colored” in any way by a financial relationship with a manufacturer of conjugated hormones, such as Wyeth, maker of PremPro and Premarin.

I recognize that researchers often rely upon funding from pharmaceutical companies for their studies and physicians enjoy the honorarium that a speaking or advisory board role can bring. But when it comes to making recommendations that affect the health and well-being of patients, the medical community should be required to prominently disclose these relationships.  After all, stock analysts are required to disclose their (and their families’) ties to the companies they cover when issuing stock recommendations. Why shouldn’t doctors be held to the same standards?

As the New York Times editorial concluded, “patients have a right to know who else is paying their doctors and why.”   Do you agree? I urge you to contact your senators to express your support for this legislation.