Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pfizer policy: Made to be broken.

I just received some interesting e-mails from inside Pfizer's HIV sales force.

Based on these e-mails, Pfizer puts a limit on how much they pay each physician: "Physicians my not earn more than $50,000 in honoraria from Pfizer during a calendar year."

But there are some physicians that the sales force loves to use as speakers . . . so would Pfizer bend the policy, I wondered?

And, just how much money can a doctor make on the side, "consulting" for Pfizer?

Read the e-mails and see what happens!

-----Original Message-----
From: Zaleski, Carolyn
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 9:59 PM
To: Fazzina, Douglas; Green, Cynthia; Whited, Amy F; Raymond, James;
Lee, Jim; Kaminsky, Lisa; Snyder, Elizabeth L; Quigley, Patrick
Subject: FW: CV For Sandip K. Mukherjee


Hi folks,

Even though we are giving a real jump start in activity to Vori right now....Please do not forget about Viracpet!!It makes sense to support
Dr. Mukherjee's talk and try to place him in your HIV Rounds, etc. I would love to see him speak throughout our district first,instead of being pulled by other East Coast Districts.

I forwarded an article earlier this week about CV Risk in the HIV pt, it was just published in the NEJM. This is a hot topic where Viracept
fairs well. Let's not miss this boat.

Take care,

Carolyn

> ______________________________________________
> From: Snyder, Elizabeth L
> Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 7:49 PM
> To: Raymond, James; Fazzina, Douglas; Wilson, Blythe Ashley; Shimp,
> Christine Lynn; Weiss, Lawrence; Turner, Edward; Wynn, Jeffrey S;
> DeRamus, Lisa A
> Cc: Zaleski, Carolyn; Glazer, Bruce J
> Subject: Dr. Mukherjee
> Importance: High
>
> Hello Team,
>
> Please be aware that Dr. Mukherjee will have reached is 2006 Honoraria
> cap in mid - October. If anyone has a talk planned for him, that is
> NOT currently APPROVED in BETSy, Please let me know ASAP. We will do
> what ever we can to keep the talk, but we MAY have to cancel.
>
> We will do our best to get all the talks in, but can not guarantee
> anything. I will do my best to accommodate any promises already made,
> but we may be constrained with the honoraria cap in place.
>
> Elizabeth

> ______________________________________________
> From: Snyder, Elizabeth L
> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 12:25 PM
> To: [name redacted] ; [name redacted] ; [name redacted]
> Cc: Zaleski, Carolyn
> Subject: Dr. Mukherjee
> Importance: High
>
> Hi Guys,
>
> I know that you are all concerned about your scheduled talks that are
> upcoming with Dr. Mukherjee. I too, am concerned. At this point, I can
> not clarify anything with Laurie Rice, as she is on vacation until
> Aug. 7th. I will get together with her on that day to see if there is
> anything we can do. As I understand this "cap", it is what it is.
> Physicians my not earn more than $50,000 in honoraria from Pfizer
> during a calendar year, and based upon the talks already given and the
> one's that have already be put into BETSy and approved, Dr. Mukherjee
> has reached his earnings cap.
>
> Again, I am all over this, and will do what I can to get some relief.
> Until I can talk to Laurie, I can not do anything more.
>
> I will let you know when I know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Elizabeth

> ______________________________________________
> From: Snyder, Elizabeth L
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 6:27 AM
> To: [name redacted] ; [name redacted]
> Subject: Nov 15 Dr. Mukherjee
>
> Guys,
>
> They have just adjusted Dr. MacArthur's cap so I am holding great hope
> that Dr. Mukherjee will be next. Please hold on through the week and
> hopefully we will have good news soon.
>
> Elizabeth

> ______________________________________________
> From: Snyder, Elizabeth L
> Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 5:40 PM
> To: [name redacted] ; [name redacted]
> Cc: Zaleski, Carolyn
> Subject: Mukherjee Cap
>
> Hi Guys,
>
>
> Good news, Dr. Mukherjee's cap should be lifted next week, so [name redacted] keep
> the Nov. 15 talks scheduled with him. We may need to reach out to Tom
> to see if he can cover the honoraria for one of the talks. I will let
> you know when it is official.
>
> Have a good weekend,
>
>
> Elizabeth

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, is this news? In my gastroenterologist's office there are small flyers stating that if you are a patient of his you may be used for such purposes, without announcement, and if you do not wish that to happen, you must make certain that you file a statement. Of course, they do not TELL you that, it is just on the flyer. Any kind of surgical intervention may be filmed and attended, and be used for the gain of the doctor, possible medical appliance sales to third parties, etc. And there you are, bucknaked on the table, turned around like a piece of meat, and the surgeon (orthopaedist, for example) uses that movie for *consultation*, making sales, recruiting physicians to sign on with a specific manufacturer, etc. It is very handy to use a practical example, a patient, to teach how to do colonoscopies, enteroscopies, hipreplacements, knee replacements, how to determine what appliance to use and which brand, etc. Any objections to that? ;)!! It is all for *science*; the science of making a buck.

Roy M. Poses MD said...

Note that in the CV reproduced above, the physician claimed to be on the "Editorial Committee" for the Medical Letter.

Perusing that publication's web-site raises a question whether it has any such "Editorial Committee." See:
http://medlet-best.securesites.com/html/who.htm

This may require further investigation.

Anonymous said...

http://medlet-best.securesites.com/html/ed.htm
I don't see a committee