Investigators have found that monthly industry payments to rheumatologists may have decreased from up to $800 before the COVID-19 pandemic to about $200 after it began, according to a report from MedPage Today. In a new study published by Murayama et al in The Journal of Rheumatology, investigators also discovered that the number of rheumatologists receiving payments decreased from up to 2,700 before the pandemic to 1,800 after it began, and that both payments for travel and lodging as well as meals and speaking decreased by 98% and 72%, respectively. As of December 2021, they noted that these figures have rebounded slightly and that 2,300 rheumatologists are now receiving about $450 in monthly industry payments; however, the investigators indicated that these numbers have not been fully restored to their prepandemic levels. They concluded that further studies are required to analyze whether these declines in monthly industry payments may be associated with the potential benefit of lower brand-name medication prescriptions.
May 01, 2023