Oct. 2 2014
Open Payments Database Launch Meets Widespread Skepticism.
Several
outlets continue their coverage of the release of data aimed at shedding light
on the financial links between industry and medical practitioners. Coverage is
predominantly negative, highlighting problems and concerns with the
newly-launched Federal program.
US News
& World Report 
(10/1,
Leonard) reports that that much-anticipated launch of a Federal database
detailing payments between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians was
greeted with concern, noting “yet another rocky web rollout by the federal
government’s health care agency Tuesday resulted in incomplete, unclear
data...” The identities of 40% of recipients were concealed due to fears of
inaccuracies, representing 65% of all transactions. Before the database’s
launch, only 26,000 physicians of the 550,000 named logged into a Federal
system to review information about themselves. In a statement, Dr. Robert Wah,
President of the American Medical Association, wrote that the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “provided a short period of time to review
and correct any inaccurate data that was submitted by industry.”
(10/1,
Leonard) reports that that much-anticipated launch of a Federal database
detailing payments between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians was
greeted with concern, noting “yet another rocky web rollout by the federal
government’s health care agency Tuesday resulted in incomplete, unclear
data...” The identities of 40% of recipients were concealed due to fears of
inaccuracies, representing 65% of all transactions. Before the database’s
launch, only 26,000 physicians of the 550,000 named logged into a Federal
system to review information about themselves. In a statement, Dr. Robert Wah,
President of the American Medical Association, wrote that the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “provided a short period of time to review
and correct any inaccurate data that was submitted by industry.”
In a similarly negative assessment of the release titled “As Payments Database
Debuts, Doctors Urge Caution,” Kaiser
Health News (10/1,
Luthra) reports that Dr. Wah and other advocates previously called for CMS to
delay the database launch to March 31 of next year. Currently, data are
available to researchers using statistical software. CMS plans to launch a
consumer-oriented site later this month. The Affordable Care Act called for the
creation of the database.
(10/1,
Luthra) reports that Dr. Wah and other advocates previously called for CMS to
delay the database launch to March 31 of next year. Currently, data are
available to researchers using statistical software. CMS plans to launch a
consumer-oriented site later this month. The Affordable Care Act called for the
creation of the database.
The Wall
Street Journal (10/2,
B1, Whalen, Walker, Rockoff, Subscription Publication) reports on the diverse
nature of the payments detailed in the database, noting that many payments are
unrelated to getting physicians to prescribe more medications. The Journal
cites the example of Dr. James Vanderlugt of Kalamazoo, Michigan, whom the
database lists as receiving $570,000 from Boehringer Ingelheim subsidiary
Roxane Laboratories. However, Vanderlugt’s supervisor said the funds were given
to his company for research, not to any one physician.
(10/2,
B1, Whalen, Walker, Rockoff, Subscription Publication) reports on the diverse
nature of the payments detailed in the database, noting that many payments are
unrelated to getting physicians to prescribe more medications. The Journal
cites the example of Dr. James Vanderlugt of Kalamazoo, Michigan, whom the
database lists as receiving $570,000 from Boehringer Ingelheim subsidiary
Roxane Laboratories. However, Vanderlugt’s supervisor said the funds were given
to his company for research, not to any one physician.
The Wall
Street Journal (10/2,
Silverman) “Pharmalot” blog focuses on another example of the Open Payment
Database’s flaws, describing GlaxoSmithKline’s listed payments of $2.9 million
to Stuart Winter, the Vice Chair for Pediatric Research at the University of
New Mexico Health Sciences Centers. The funding was listed in error but it still
ended up being published, making Winter one of the top ten recipients of
research funding.
(10/2,
Silverman) “Pharmalot” blog focuses on another example of the Open Payment
Database’s flaws, describing GlaxoSmithKline’s listed payments of $2.9 million
to Stuart Winter, the Vice Chair for Pediatric Research at the University of
New Mexico Health Sciences Centers. The funding was listed in error but it still
ended up being published, making Winter one of the top ten recipients of
research funding. 
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