https://goo.gl/WUd4fy
The drug industry is spending $72 million a year "educating" doctors, with one company splashing $750,000 on a weekend conference.
A new database of pharmaceutical company-funded events created by Sydney University researchers shows 42 companies shelled out $286 million on 117,000 events for doctors and nurses over a four-year period. The average cost of an event was $2500.
Swiss giant Roche organised the most expensive event each year, spending an average $750,000 on the two-day event (plus welcome dinner), the "Annual Haematology & Oncology Targeted (HOTT) symposium" for about 300 doctors.
The data shows about half the money covered meals, five-star accommodation, airfares and transfers. How the rest was spent (apart from speaking fees and general event costs) is a mystery.
Dr Quinn Grundy, one of the researchers, said the sheer scale of generosity was worrying because it could lead to doctors prescribing more expensive medicines.