Pharmaceutical Industry Payouts Prompt Conflict of Interest Concerns

How would you feel knowing that the doctor insisting that smoking is completely safe is actually being paid by the tobacco industry?

This kind of information would be extremely off-putting to say the least. But unfortunately this conflict of interest is absolutely rampant among the mainstream health community, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.

In fact, recent news has come out revealing that thousands of doctors, researchers, and medical experts in Texas are being paid handsomely by the pharmaceutical industry.

A Conflict of Interest Between Doctors and the Pharmaceutical Industry

It seems that a large number of healthcare professionals and researchers — many of whom are state employed — are supplementing their salary with a nice sum of money paid out by the pharmaceutical industry.

More than 25,000 physicians and researchers in Texas received a combined amount of at least $57 million in cash from the pharmaceutical industry in research money, free meals, travel, and more, from 2009 to early 2011.

Many of the medical professionals, some of which were already attaining a state salary as much as $500,000/year, were bringing in $100,000 between 2009 and early 2011 thanks to the pharmaceutical industry financial push.

These medical professionals were paid for various tasks such as assessing products, speaking engagements, and ultimately anything that would increase sales for the industry.

As much as $100,000 is more than enough money to influence opinions and decisions. With having a family to take care of and a house to payoff, it is no surprise that many individuals accept the money, even while knowing at heart that it is for the opposite of the greater good. These payments issued by the pharmaceutical industry, while legal, are simply bribes and payoffs to support and place their product on the market by having it both FDA and publicly approved. This is the kind of “behind the scenes” situations that occur within the shadows.

The practice ‘puts patients and tax dollars at risk,’ said Lee Spiller, the policy director for the Texas branch of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a nonprofit mental health watchdog. ‘It taints the whole process. I’d hate to think donations were shaping state mental health policy in particular.’

These kind of actions are not the only profit-driven, corrupt actions that occur within the confides of the mainstream health community. It was reported earlier this year that key California legislators who were instrumental in the passing of legislation received financing from vaccine titan Merck. The bill, now passed, allows for Gardasil vaccinations to be given to children as young as 12.

This kind of corruption is more widespread than most truly know, and it is vital that people know of these kinds of actions before placing their trust in any mega corporations.

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