A slightly larger share of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced practice clinicians accept payments from drug and device makers compared with physicians, a first-of-its-kind study found.
Of all the advanced practice clinicians working in the U.S. in 2021, 36% accepted payments from industry, compared with 35% of physicians, according to new findings released Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Previous studies have looked at industry payments to doctors and showed how they influence prescribing, but this is the first to look specifically at U.S. payments to this group of providers, which includes those with post-graduate training and the ability to diagnose illnesses and prescribe drugs.
“These advanced practice clinicians also have prescriptive authority, not just physicians, and are also very much involved in the appropriate or inappropriate use of medications,” Audrey Zhang, an author of the study and resident physician at the Duke University School of Medicine, told STAT. The study included nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and networking platform access.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect