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news.In 2007 pharmaceutical firms have spent more than $3 million in Vermont for promoting their products through education and marketing mostly to Vermont physicians, reported The Burlington Free Press.
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Most of the money was spent on fees, travel expenses, and other direct payments to Vermont physicians, hospitals, universities and others for the purpose of marketing their products.
Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, UCB, Novartis and Merck & Co emerged as the top spenders in Vermont, accounting for more than 56% of the total sum spent in Vermont.
A major portion of the spending went to the doctors’ and was focused on marketing only few drugs. The psychiatrists received the highest level of payments closely followed by cardiologists.
The astronomical sum spent in marketing in Vermont has raised many concerns, especially about the undue influence of drug money on public healthcare. But the pharmaceutical companies contend that the drug money educates doctors and ultimately benefits patients.
The Burlington Free Press has quoted Judy Moore, a spokeswoman for Eli Lilly and Co as saying: “Physician compensation is a legitimate expense for the fair market value of consultation, teaching and sharing relevant information about the benefit and risks of our products.”