Detailing Financial Links of Doctors and Drug Makers

New York Times: A federal website made public on Tuesday sheds new light on the medical world’s financial ties to the health care industry, providing a detailed look at doctor’s payments from drug and medical device makers.

The website, which was required by the recent federal health care law, includes about 4.4 million payments to more than half a million health care professionals from August to December of 2013, adding up to about $3.5 billion. The database is being hailed by consumer advocates who point to studies that have shown that doctors’ financial relationships to drug companies affect their prescribing practices.

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