Drugmakers Favor Companies for Medical Education Grants

Drug and device makers give more money to companies that provide doctor education than to other organizations, according to a study that suggests the groups should be evaluated for undue industry influence.

Companies such as WebMD Health Corp.’s Medscape and the closely held Postgraduate Institute for Medicine based in Englewood, Colorado, received $170 million split among 2,077 grants from the drug and device makers in 2010 to provide continuing medical education. The report was released yesterday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.