Pharma companies influence many areas of medicine

Drug manufacturers have used money to increase their clout with patient advocacy groups, clinical guidelines and physicians, according to a series of commentaries published in JAMA Internal Medicine.  

NPR and ProPublica summarized many of the concerns, saying the papers provide “further evidence showing how conflicts of interest help shape” healthcare.

In one example, researchers found advocacy groups receiving funding from opioid manufacturers were less supportive of federal guidelines designed to limit opioid prescriptions for chronic pain.

“More people are dying than ever before from these products, and it's important to know how the market is shaped by the spending of drug companies," G. Caleb Alexander, co-director of the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness at Johns Hopkins University, said to NPR and ProPublica.

For more on the studies, including how many patient advocacy groups are getting cash from the pharmaceutical industry, click on the link below: