“GlaxoSmithKline is to make public the level of advisory fees it offers to doctors and medical academics, and will strictly cap the payments they can receive in the US to $150,000 (£88,000) a year each. Andrew Witty, chief executive of the UK-based pharmaceutical company, said he was introducing tougher new rules to impose a cap “without exception” on such payments and promised to publish the amounts.”

I’m catching up with my reading. Andrew Jack interviewed Andrew Witty, the chief exec of GSK, in the FT a week or two ago. That’s the first paragraph of a very interesting piece. 

Now, publishing the amounts GSK pay doctors is very good, but, er, 88K a year? For a couple of lectures and lending one’s name to a bit of ghost-writing? GSK, please save your cash and don’t pay any doctors not wholly employed by you for any advisory anythings. Last year the kickbacks received by orthopaedic surgeons – some up to $1m worth – in the US were revealed after a federal investigation showed just how closely doctors and the orthopaedic industry were “working”.  There is still cash being thrown at doctors in the UK. I am tired of throwing out all the invitations I get to hearing the latest on cardiac risk factors/obesity management/urinary incontience over dinner at very nice restaurants courtesy of pharmaceutical reps.

Would you want the advice of a doctor who has just been eating canapes courtesy of the latest anti-inflammatory rep? Would you take the recommendation for your type of hip replacements from someone who has just spent a few five star days giving “consultancy” to the manufacturers?

I hope not. Medicine is difficult enough without having one’s judgment impaired by biased interpretations of the evidence. There is lots of dialogue to be had between doctors and both the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. But this should be done without personal gain. 

That should be obvious. Professionals should not be technicians who can be puppeteered at the whim of the sponsor; they should be acting for the best interests of those they serve with 20/20 clarity. That’s surely the bare minimum we should expect as patients, from doctors?

Every time I have written about this I have had emails from doctors who tell me that I am a fool. You can have nice dinners and lux conference stays and still be a pro, they say, I can’t be bought! But of course you can. Anyone can. The point of being a professional is surely that you choose not to be.