Kaiser Health News has a new data-fueled story out called “Pre$cription for Power,” in which the team their finds that big pharma is filtering money to patient advocacy groups at rates that dwarf even their federal lobbying efforts. The database—searchable here—makes transparent the money that patient groups right here in Dallas-Fort Worth have taken from drugmakers.
The Dallas-based American Heart Association, for instance, took $3.3 million from the tracked companies in 2015, seventh-most of any group. Many of the national patient groups in the analysis have North Texas branches.
In all, KHN found that nearly half—594—of the 1,215 patient advocacy groups they looked at took money from pharmaceutical companies in 2015. The donations add up to $116 million, and they reveal another avenue drugmakers are exploring to gain greater influence. Go here for the full story.
