Women Paid Less as Consultants to Pharma... Again? Save

Historically, women’s salaries have lagged behind their male colleagues. Women are less likely to achieve leadership roles or be full professors at academic institutions.

Rose et al examined publicly reported financial relationships among 747,603 physicians and 432 pharmaceutical, device and biomaterials companies. For payments made to physicians, women on average, received fewer total dollars (-$3,598.63, p<0.001) per person than men. Additionally, female physicians received significantly lower amounts of dollars spent on meals (-$41.80, p<0.001), education (-$1,893.14, p<0.001), speaker fees (-$2,898.44, p<0.001), and sponsored research (-$15,049.62, p=0.05).

These findings continue to occur despite the fact that the number of women in medicine is increasing and in some instances outnumbers men. RheumNow wonders what it will take to reverse this despicable and indefensible practice. Industry and their legal guides have a negligent, self-serving and deflated perception of what a physician’s time and advice is worth - seems it’s even worse when engaging women in medicine.

Womens iIssues like this will be addressed next month at the inaugural Women In Rheumatology conference. For more information seehttp://buff.ly/1VuyCa7.