A study done at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in March of 2014 documented that just in the District of Columbia, Big Pharma spent nearly $100 milliion on marketing pharmaceutical drugs. More than $30 million was spent on payments and gifts to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers. This included grants, speaker fees, food, and promotional items. They also gave nearly $20 million to hospitals, clinics, universities, and "other" organizations. Is this a big business or what!
A provision in the Affordable Care Act will require drug companies to file reports disclosing to HHS all monetary expenditures to physicians and teaching hospitals from August through December of 2014. These numbers will eventually be made public. This study is available at the District of Columbia Department of Health Website at: http://doh.dc.gov/node/158762.
