A clear picture of Big Pharma’s largesse
Doctors will soon have to disclose gifts and payments they receive from pharmaceutical companies.
Doctors will soon have to disclose gifts and payments they receive from pharmaceutical companies. Under the Sunshine Act, a provision of the Affordable Care Act, pharmaceutical and medical-device companies will have to record nearly every financial interaction they have with doctors, whether it’s paying them for research consultation, paying them for speeches, or sending a pizza to their office. That information will then be published on a searchable, public website from September 2014 onward. Many physicians make considerable income from consulting and speaking fees they receive from drug companies; last year alone the biggest drugmaker, Pfizer, paid $173.2 million to health-care professionals.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why does the U.S. need China's rare earth metals?
Today's Big Question Beijing has a 'near monopoly' on tech's raw materials
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
When did divorce begin?
The Explaine Couples have always split up, but the institution has undergone major changes over the years
By David Faris
-
What are your retirement savings account options?
The explainer The two main types of accounts are 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
By Becca Stanek, The Week US