Pharmaceutical industry-sponsored meals are associated with increased prescriptions and Medicare spending for dupilumab among dermatologists in the United States.

Abstract

Healthcare industry sometimes make large marketing payments to physicians. Previous studies have demonstrated that there are significant associations between industry marketing practices and physicians' prescribing behaviours in several specialties. Given the current increasing introduction of many novel biologics for atopic dermatitis and increasing payments to dermatologists, the industry payments to dermatologists for atopic dermatitis drugs could be associated with their prescribing patterns in the United States. This study aims to evaluate association between dermatologists' dupilumab prescription behaviours and manufacturer's sponsored meal payments to dermatologists in the United States. Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Open Payments Database, this cross-sectional analysis evaluated associations between manufacturer's sponsored meal payments to dermatologists related to dupilumab and dermatologists' dupilumab prescriptions between 2017 and 2021. Associations were evaluated using logistic generalised estimating equations (GEE) and negative binomial regression GEE models at individual dermatologist level. Among 2852 dermatologists prescribing dupilumab, 74.5% received meal payments amounting to $1,083,919 between 2017 and 2021. Dermatologists receiving meal payments were more likely to prescribe dupilumab (odds ratio 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37-1.65). There were also consistent dose-response associations between meal payments and total claims as well as Medicare spending. Dermatologists who received 1, 2-5, 6-10, and 11-15 meal payments per year reported 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03-1.24, p < 0.05), 1.35 (95% CI: 1.24-1.46, p < 0.001), 1.64 (95% CI: 1.48-1.82, p < 0.001), and 2.10 (95% CI: 1.78-2.47, p < 0.001) times more dupilumab-related claims in the year when they received the payments than those who did not receive the payments, respectively. This study found that significant associations between industry-sponsored meal payments and increased dupilumab prescriptions, shedding light on the potential influence of financial relationships on clinical practice. The findings call for heightened awareness among dermatologists, patients, and policymakers regarding the impact of these relationships on healthcare expenditures and decision-making in the United States. Future research is warranted to further explore these associations longitudinally.