Industry Payments to Physicians Are Kickbacks. How Should Stakeholders Respond?

In a review of the literature on the impact pharmaceutical industry payments on physician prescribing and the legality of such relationships, the authors conclude that many such payments may meet the definition of illegal kickbacks under the Anti‑Kickback Statute, despite existing compliance guidance. Industry, providers, regulators, and payers all have a range of available actions to curb the effect of these payments on health care spending and prescribing decisions.