by Jason Lamb
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A Nashville psychiatrist has been criticized for accepting more than $1 million for speaking and consulting on behalf of drug companies.
The doctor, Jon Draud, has landed at the top of a national list for accepting payments from the pharmaceutical industry.
A new report from ProPublica showed over the last four years, Draud collected more money for speaking and consulting on behalf of drug companies than perhaps any other doctor in the nation – more than $1 million on top of his regular salary.
Draud spoke exclusively with NewsChannel 5 Tuesday, defending those payouts.
The new information came from a ProPublica database, listing pharmaceutical company disclosures and doctors from across the country.
Draud told NewsChannel 5 he always wanted to be a teacher and that speaking on behalf of drug companies helped bring together his desire for both teaching and medicine.
"In my mind, I've been able to fulfill the role of an educator, spend time with colleagues and share ideas," Draud said. "Frankly, the give and take that's occurred has made me a better doctor."
He said it was only fair to accept payments for his speaking engagements because it makes up for what he would otherwise make while working at his practice.
"It's not essential, I suppose, but I consider it a reasonable, fair compensation for being gone and traveling, and spending time away from my home and family," Draud said.
Draud said accepting so much money did not create a conflict of interest between him and his patients. He said the information he gives out was not biased towards the drug companies.
"It has to be vetted by the FDA as being fair, balanced and non-biased toward the pharmaceutical company," Draud said.
Draud was not alone in accepting drug company money. Though ProPublica's records show he has accepted the most money from speaking engagements, it showed hundreds of thousands of doctors from across the country also do the same thing.
The American Medical Association's code of ethics said when it comes to dealing with drug companies: "It is...appropriate for consultants who provide genuine services to receive reasonable compensation and to accept reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging, and meal expenses."
The Tennessee Medical Association also added: "...ultimately, it is the responsibility of individual physicians to minimize conflicts of interest that may be at odds with the best interest of patients."
Draud told NewsChannel 5 he still works at his office about 20 days each month, so he's not doing speaking engagements all the time.
He said psychiatrists are often paid for speaking engagements most often, because new psychiatric drugs were being developed so frequently.
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