Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
More than 700 doctors were paid at least $1 million by drug and medical device companies between 2014 and 2018, ProPublica reports. More than 2,500 received at least half a million dollars.
Why it matters: Many drugs that are heavily promoted have strong competition. "Promotional spending is a major way that manufacturers in these situations distinguish themselves from each other — not by conducting comparative studies or by engaging in substantial price reductions," said Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Between the lines: The Affordable Care Act required such payments to be made public. While some experts thought transparency may cause companies and doctors to rethink the payments, that doesn't seem to have been the case.
- Doctors were paid for activities like dinner talks, sponsored speeches or consulting on products.
By the numbers: In each of the 5 years, drug and device companies spent between $2.1 billion and $2.2 billion paying doctors. Around 600,000 doctors received payments each year.
Go deeper: Read the investigation