Pharmaceutical companies paid physicians a great deal of money for non-research opioid-related activity, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Researchers analyzed payments made to 8,177 physicians between 2013 and 2015.
Here are eight key notes:
1. Industry payments totaled $46.15 million.
2. Of that total, the top 1 percent of physicians received 82.5 percent.
3. Abuse-deterrent formulations comprised 20.3 percent and buprenorphine marketed for addiction treatment accounted for 9.9 percent of total payments.
4. Physicians mainly earned payments for speaking fees or honoraria.
5. Nearly 94 percent of payments were for food and beverage payments.
6. Anesthesiologists earned the most in total annual payments.
7. Overall, one in 12 U.S. physicians received a payment involving an opioid.
8. Researchers concluded leaders should look into industry influences on opioid prescribing patterns.