Compound Pharmacy Kickbacks

[JRos895]

Did doctors get kickbacks when they (could) prescribe HCG from Empower/Hallandale?

People always said that TRT clinics “made a fortune” when dispensing HCG. So was there any system by which HCG could be prescribed and the doctor could make a profit?

 

[SteveCleves]

I wouldn't call it a kick back per se...but I've always assumed there is some profit sharing agreement between TRT clinics and compounding pharmacies.

Its probably something technical like the even though the meds are shipped from the pharmacy, its technically being sold by the clinic to you and the clinic charges you like +20% above what the pharmacy charges the clinic.

 

[Vince]

We found that, on average, physicians who prescribed a drug received higher payments related to the drug that same year than those who didn't prescribe it. For Linzess, the value of payments was more than four times higher for providers who prescribed the drug than among those who did not.

Doctors Prescribe More of a Drug If They Receive Money from a Pharma ...
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[JRos895]

I wouldn't call it a kick back per se...but I've always assumed there is some profit sharing agreement between TRT clinics and compounding pharmacies.

Its probably something technical like the even though the meds are shipped from the pharmacy, its technically being sold by the clinic to you and the clinic charges you like +20% above what the pharmacy charges the clinic.

This is what I assumed as well. If this is true, I feel like this is a phenomenon that deserves more scrutiny, especially if doctors are not disclosing this.

I find it highly unethical for doctors to be prescribing medications that they are directly profiting from (or at the very least, not disclosing that), especially since patients may ask about the potency differences between compounded meds and brand name meds. The potency of certain compounded meds, like HCG for example, has long been questioned by users of this forum.

Even worse, it may encourage doctors to put a patient on form of therapy that they profit from (HCG therapy), rather than a potentially more appropriate therapy (like Clomid therapy, which is more often covered by insurance and thus presents less opportunities for doctor profiteering).

 

[MarcoFL]

Pick whatever doctor you would like to work with. The one I use that is how the fee system works and I am free to move if I want.

 

[MDavidW76]

For Linzess, the value of payments was more than four times higher for providers who prescribed the drug than among those who did not.

Interesting… our GI doctor used to give my wife samples of this drug, she never had an Rx for it.

 

[CKO]

It's not a kickback unless the doctor receives payment from a federal or state program. That's how the US Code is written. Private pay and private insurance are free to enter all sorts of different types of business partnerships. It's not illegal and it's actually quite common.