Drug makers “regularly pay physicians for various types of work, such as speaking, consulting and clinical research,” The Wall Street Journal notes.
But a new study led by Cleveland researcher Susannah Rose “finds female
physicians received noticeably less than their male counterparts for
the same activities.”
From the story:
For
instance, men were paid $41 more, on average, than women for meals;
they were also paid nearly $2,900, on average, more than women for
speaking and about $2,400 more, on average, than women for consulting.
Similarly, men were paid $15,000 more, on average, than women for
industry-sponsored research, according to study in PLOS ONE.
Overall, of the $17.9 million paid to nearly 221,000 physicians by drug makers in 2011, just 24.9% went to women. Female physicians, on average, received fewer total dollars — nearly $3,600 — per person than men. The study analyzed publicly reported financial relationships among 747,603 physicians and 432 pharmaceutical, device and biomaterials companies in 2011.
Overall, of the $17.9 million paid to nearly 221,000 physicians by drug makers in 2011, just 24.9% went to women. Female physicians, on average, received fewer total dollars — nearly $3,600 — per person than men. The study analyzed publicly reported financial relationships among 747,603 physicians and 432 pharmaceutical, device and biomaterials companies in 2011.
The study authors say the findings “suggest that female physicians are
not reaping the benefits of industry support at a time when government
funding for research has been declining,” according to the story.
“It’s troubling because this may place women at a distinct disadvantage,” Rose, the study’s lead author, tells The Journal.
She is director of bioethics research and policy at the Cleveland Clinic and an assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
The Journal
says Rose notes that previous studies “have found that women also
receive less funding from the NIH than men.” In addition, the study
found that disparities “were generally larger at institutions — such as
academic medical centers — with better reputations, which are seen as
more desirable by industry.”
However, the authors “were not able to cite reasons for the disparities,” The Journal
says. They speculate that “industry could be biased; women may not work
in medical specialties were the most research is conducted; industry
may believe audiences at educational events respond better to male
speakers; or women may be less inclined to work with industry.”
Spotlight on police unions
CityLab.com uses Cleveland as the focal point to explore what it calls “the paranoia of police unions” in response to reform efforts.
The website notes that Steve Loomis, head of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, “has said that officers feel uneasy after recent decisions handed down concerning the department — decisions that have put police officers’ lives in danger.”
Never mind, says CityLab.com, “that each of the judgments in question represents an effort to bring accountability to law enforcement in Cleveland.”
Loomis’ logic, as articulated in recent comments to The Plain Dealer, amount to saying that efforts to reform police practices embolden criminals,
see more: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20150618/BLOGS03/150619785/female-physicians-receive-less-pay-than-males-for-speaking
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