A recent Reuters article reported that the manufacturer of the leading antiobesity medication semaglutide (Wegovy) "showers money on U.S. obesity doctors."
Hello. I'd like to be showered.
According to the article, Novo Nordisk, Wegovy/Ozempic manufacturer, paid medical professionals $25.8 million in "fees and expenses" over a decade.
Beverly Tchang, MD
I think all doctors — who spend a decade of their life in training only to emerge with thousands of dollars in debt — would like to be similarly compensated for their expertise.
Yet, many of us forgo lucrative private practices or industry jobs to work at academic medical centers because we wish to pursue our original mission:
To provide the best patient care possible.
Fulfilling this mission in today's "sickcare" system means being more than a clinician. We become researchers, educators, advocates, mentors, consultants, and advisors. We do so because the system compels us to find other ways to provide quality healthcare, outside of clinic walls. These ways often include:
Educating the public through media, social media, or community events
Training students, residents, and fellows on the latest medical knowledge
Advising industry innovators and entrepreneurs who seek our expertise
Personally, I engaged in these activities because working 8-to-5 seeing 20 patients a day wasn't enough. I wanted to help more people, more quickly. When I was faced with these opportunities, I was excited to say yes and never thought to ask for compensation because I didn't want to seem ungrateful.
Eventually, I learned to ask for compensation.
And then I learned to decide my value.
The Reuters article reports that obesity medicine experts Drs Lee Kaplan, Donna Ryan, Ania Jastreboff, and Jamy Ard were paid thousands of dollars in consulting fees over a decade. This industry-to-physician relationship should be celebrated because:
Industries should consult experts in the field.
These leaders have dedicated decades of their lives to understanding and solving the obesity epidemic.
This collaboration has resulted in a therapeutic option that is changing lives.
If there is anything to criticize, it should be:
The expectation that medical expertise should be free.
Wegovy's manufacturer is worth $403 billion, and the experts are valued at < 0.1% of that figure.The lack of context.
Some celebrity doctors can earn $300,000 in just one consult. Other medical or surgical specialties are valued at 100 times more than obesity specialists.The false dichotomy.
Just because money is involved, it doesn't mean the product is invalid.
Industry and physician relationships have long been examined. Such financial relationships are always disclosed (eg, at conferences, in publications). The Sunshine Act of 2010 and Open Payments provide the necessary transparency for people to decide for themselves whether there were financial incentives or potential conflicts of interest.
We should also take it a step further and ask ourselves: Do conflicts of interest require us to dismiss the end result? In other words, just because the pharmaceutical industry pays these doctors for their time and expertise, does that mean their life's work is wrong, or that the drug isn't effective?
In the case of obesity, Wegovy speaks for itself. Remember that the manufacturer stopped advertising. When a disease finally has a treatment, it does not need promoters or salespersons. Just speak to any person with obesity.
Ultimately, I see three main takeaways from Reuters' reporting:
The weight loss industry needs more obesity medicine experts.
We should value ourselves more.
When people with resources work with people who have the commitment, knowledge, and experience, we can find a solution that saves lives.
Dr Tchang received $5525 in 2022 in consulting fees from Novo Nordisk. She plans to ask for more.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: 'Shower' Me for My Medical Expertise - Medscape - Dec 27, 2023.
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