Pharmaceutical and medical device companies advertise extensively across all mediums to include radio, print, news and social media. A new drug with a seductive name that is proclaimed to be the best and most comprehensive treatment for x, y and z is released almost monthly. Patients are depicted engaging with their families and physical activity with Hollywood smiles. These advertisements are intended to influence.
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies also influence physicians and hospitals preference through money and lots of it. From 2013- 2016 Zimmer, paid $309 million to 46,889 physicians. During the same time period Stryker another orthopedic device company paid out $217 million to 39140 physicians.
Influence also extends to teaching hospitals where young impressionable doctors, interns, residents and medical students are exposed to these manufacturers, products and marketing. In 2016 Denver Health Medical Center received $7,232,440 in payments down from $9,688,372 in 2015.
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies are required by law to release details of their payments to doctors and U.S. teaching hospitals which is summarized on Dollars for Docs., managed by non profit media organization ProPublica.
Local orthopedic physicians and spine surgeons are routinely recruited and compensated well. Check the website to see if your local spine or orthopedic specialists was one of the highest earning physicians in Denver.
Centeno-Schultz Clinic
Pharmaceutical representatives are not allowed in our office nor will you see their advertisements anywhere in our clinic. We are not paid speakers nor do we perform clinical trials for any pharmaceutical or medical device companies which can be confirmed by reviewing our profiles on Dollars for Doc website. We are committed to the highest level of integrity and transparency and will not be swayed by outside economic influences. We developed the use of platelet rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate injections for common orthopedic conditions 14 year ago after acknowledging that there had to be a better and safer alternative than narcotics, steroids and surgery. We are committed to patient safety, patient well being and continued advancement in the field of regenerative medicine.
Can you feel confident saying the same about your local ‘stem cell expert” who also does botox?
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