ABSTRACT

Pharmaceutical companies are a great addition to the medical field, providing research and the development of new medications allowing physicians to have immediate access to those medications. However, some pharmaceutical companies are providing physicians with “kickbacks'' for prescribing their medications and treatments. The kickbacks vary from free medical conferences to substantial monetary compensation. This report addresses a variety of questions related to this practice of physician compensation. The issue at hand is how ethical are physicians receiving a kickback for prescribing name-brand medications? Do kickbacks persuade how physicians provide treatment and decide what medication is best for the patient? What are the effects on patients when physicians prescribe the wrong medication and/or treatment because of the kickback they receive? This report will also document cases where patient treatment may be affected by the pharmaceutical industry. To conclude, pharmaceutical companies provide great assets to physicians as long as medications are properly vetted.