Despite having histories of misconduct, thousands of U.S. physicians have received payments from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers for serving as public speakers and advisers, NPR reported, based on analysis by ProPublica.
ProPublica reviewed state medical boards' disciplinary records for physicians in California, Texas, New York, Florida and New Jersey and compared them to data from CMS that accounts for industry payments made to physicians between August 2013 and December 2015. Analysts identified at least 2,300 physicians who received industry payments for speaking, consulting, education, travel and gifts during that time period, despite having records of misconduct and even sometimes losing their license to practice. The analysis didn't count meals, as these are not always indicative of a formal relationship between physicians and companies, according to the report.
While many physicians were disciplined by their state medical boards for minor offenses, such as failing to complete required continuing medical education courses, hundreds of others committed more serious offenses, such as providing poor-quality care, inappropriately prescribing addictive medications, defrauding public insurance programs and sexual assault, according to the report.
In at least 40 cases in which physicians who received disciplinary action for misconduct received industry payments, physicians were either forced to surrender their licenses or they were revoked permanently. Another 180 physicians' licenses were temporarily suspended or restricted, while 250 were placed on probation.