do doctors get a cut of the perscription price?

Answer 1

They don't get commisions from the pharm companies, but many docs become heavily vested in them. Also, they do get kickbacks, like trips and what not from the reps. When area reps do well, they are encouraged to share with their docs.

BTW, have you noticed how your average pharm rep looks like a Miss America contestant? Think there's something to that?

Answer 2

It depends on which case you are referring:

1) If it is a private clinic and the prescription and dispensing are done within the same premise,then the doctor operates and earn like any other businessman. He does,in a way, take a cut.

2) In a hospital or a government run establishment,the doctor is salaried with a fix pay and should not have charge for a prescription,for that's within his jobscope and not additional.

Answer 3

Yes. The way it works is a pharmaceutical company hires drug representatives to go around to different doctors telling them about new products and gives them free samples. It's scary to think that to be a licensed physician in the US, you only need one class in pharmaceuticals. The drug rep then tells the physician if the Dr. then prescribes "X" amount of product, then he will get a commission on that amount. Usually this ranges between 25%-40% of the total. In a recent study, the average doctor in WV made an estimated $425,000/yr in kickbacks from pharmaceuticals. This fee is added to each and every prescription that you purchase and is labeled in pharmaceutical accounting book as operating expenses.

Answer 4

Yes and no, if you go to a doctor say on workers comp and they give you there prescription then yes, and they bill the ins co, some ins company's when it come s to work comp, will not allow doctors to give there own medications, must be filled at there place , for instance if you work for Ralph's gro company and go on work comp you must get it filled a the store that is inside the Ralph's cause they get a break on the price , so to correctly answer the question yes but not in all circumstances, what i just told you is fact,

Answer 5

I use to work in a 3 Dr. medical office and they get free office supplies, trips, dinners, etc for prescribing a companies medicines. Many Dr's are invested in the local drug companies. It's a rip off and all medicines have side effects. Years ago the local Dr’s got my grown son hopelessly hooked on oxycontin by every Dr. in town giving it to him even though they knew that the others were also.

Answer 6

This was a rampant practice in the USA at one time and consequently the doctors invariably gave out the prescriptions on their own letterheads. But Better Business Bureau in USA led a sustained campaign against this and the practice has slowly died down. Doctors don't anymore give prescription on their own letter heads but stationery provided by the medical agents which only contains the company's advt.The docors,howeve, get free samples and occasioal gifts, "medial "tours etc.In fact, if any concrete case of commission is reported to the BBB/National medical associations the matter is pursued .Occasioal cases of this type are reported in BBB publications.

Answer 7

Yes, but only if they are giving a private prescription or they own a dispensing practice.
Contrary to some answers below, doctors do receive gifts from pharmaceutical companies' reps, but these must be less than £6 in vlaue & be directly related to the practice od medicine or patient care. Would you be swayed by something that cheap?

Answer 8

i read someone say that doctors just get pencils and pens. i have to respond to that. while i do not know about a cut of the "prescription price", having worked in the industry i can tell you doctors get much more than that, if they are looking. golf anyone? dinners? use of vacation homes? a nice check for a referral? there are plenty of perks and kickbacks to be had. is it illegal? oh yeah. the fact of the industry wide government investigation and subpoenas of major orthopedic manufacturers just last year would tend to tell us that these practises are still alive and well.

Answer 9

If you're in England, the answer is no. The doctor is paid for each patient on his/her books (I think) and the prescription money goes to the government who then subsidise the rest of the cost for expensive medicines.

Answer 10

In a round about way they do, doctors are often given incentives such as gifts, trips, even cash in exchange for 'suggestive selling' IE, writing lots of scrips for a certain drug.

Answer 11

I think they get somewhat bigger benefits... I've heard that they can get perks from pharmaceutical companies for getting people to take newly released medications and giving them prescriptions for them... perks like vacations and such... I think the samples they pass out in the office are supplied to your doctor for free...