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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDr. Oz made $1.17 million off a hemorrhoid treatment he promoted in his column
TV's Dr. Mehmet Oz is one of 17 cardiologists who made more than a million dollars from a drug or medical device company between 2013 and 2014.
That's according to MedPage Today, which parsed an open data set of payments to doctors from industry. According to the analysis, Oz earned $1.17 million from Covidien/Medtronic, which owns HET Systems, the maker of a hemorrhoid therapy he helped develop.
Oz also used his media platform to promote the treatment just ahead of it hitting the market. In one of his syndicated columns with co-author Dr. Mike Roizen, he doled out some advice for how people can deal with their "rhoid rage," including this:
"If you need treatment, a device is coming to the market that makes getting rid of these much less painful: Ask your doc about HET bipolar ligator. (We helped develop this, and its a major reducer of pain in the, well, you know what.)"
http://www.vox.com/2015/7/25/9036205/dr-oz-het-hemorrhoid
Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)zappaman
(20,606 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)zappaman
(20,606 posts)Not here though.
wheniwasincongress
(1,307 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Are you implying Dr. Oz is a giant hemorrhoid?
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)Leave him alone!
tkmorris
(11,138 posts)What I find troubling is the sheer numbers of willing rubes that enable this snake oil salesman. How can people be so astoundingly gullible?
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)I don't listen to a word this man says.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)Is there adequate money for research to develop new devices, or do doctors generally self-fund their inventions? If they self-fund, I have no objection to their making money from a device that could help the sick.
I understand that Oz's self-promotion is unethical, but if he actually did develop something medically beneficial, why shouldn't he -- or any other doctor-- profit from it?
I also understand the part of the article about doctors prescribing brand-name drugs and getting "kickbacks" from big pharma. But... research is expensive. Someone has to fund it.
I ask this as someone who has personal interest (not financial!) in a medical device that has been in development for at least 15 years. As far as I can determine, it is being funded by the government (NIH, maybe?) and corporate grant money. Maybe someone who works in this field can enlighten us. Thank you!
BainsBane
(53,137 posts)It is far too expensive for any individual to fund, absent a few of the richest billionaires on earth.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)BainsBane
(53,137 posts)He is a "liberal Republican" who cares about people. Why do you hate Michelle Obama?
Response to BainsBane (Reply #12)
Post removed
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Why?
Why, damn you?
Sid
zappaman
(20,606 posts)I guess someone wants us to forget that thread ever happened!
spanone
(135,950 posts)zappaman
(20,606 posts)spanone
(135,950 posts)Haven't seen it in years.
Thanks!