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From a paper just published in the Australia-based Internal Medicine Journal, results of a survey of a random sample of Australian physicians (39% response rate):
Of the 104 (13%) who answered ‘Yes’ to the question ‘have you sought funds from pharmaceutical industry for items or activities other than research?’, the highest-value requests were for salaries for nursing positions (one of A$80 000; US$60 000), donations to departmental funds (including one of A$60 000; US$45 000, ‘in return for time seeing reps’), support for conducting meetings or conferences and travel, including both international and domestic travel. Other requests were for assistance with education or educational materials, food for meetings, dinners, equipment, journals or textbooks, assistance to attend conferences and a request for funds for a Christmas party. Most requests were made on behalf of a conference organizing group, department or clinic, other than requests for travel and assistance to attend conferences, which were made by individuals themselves (with the exception of one request for travel assistance on behalf of members of a department). The range of the value of requests was from A$50 to A$100 000 (US$38–77 000).
–McNeill et al., “Giving and receiving of gifts between pharmaceutical companies and medical specialists in Australia”, Internal Medicine Journal, September 2006
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