Selling a Story

The WSJ reported today that Medtronic disclosed payment to doctors. The tone of the article suggests that Medtronic is doing a great service by increasing 'transparency.' That the firm is offering 'royalty' and 'consulting fees' (bribes) to doctors is not being questioned. Doctors taking money from the firms are displaying the depths of their ethics.

Medtronic Voluntarily Discloses Payments to Doctors - WSJ.com: "Medical-device maker Medtronic Inc. disclosed that it made payments of more than $15.7 million in royalties and consulting fees to U.S. doctors in the first quarter, the first time the big Minneapolis company has provided such details.

In making the voluntary disclosure, Medtronic is stepping ahead of requirements of a new federal law mandating such publication by 2013. But the Medtronic initiative is occurring at a time when federal prosecutors and congressional investigators are increasingly scrutinizing relationships between drug and device companies and doctors.

The vast majority of the payments, or $14.2 million, went to orthopedic specialists and orthopedic surgeons. ..."