A Yale study, published in Pulmonary Circulation, examined links between pharmaceutical industry payments and prescribing patterns among physicians treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — a field chosen because therapies are costly and prescribing is concentrated among a small group of specialists. Using CMS Open Payments data, researchers found that physicians receiving drug-specific industry payments were significantly more likely to prescribe the corresponding pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy, with a dose-response effect (more payments, higher prescribing rates) and lower use of generic alternatives. Even modest payments were linked to higher Medicare spending on pulmonary arterial hypertension drugs.
Lead author Elizabeth Tarras, MD, notes physicians were still prescribing appropriate, standard-of-care treatments — but the conflicts of interest still warrant scrutiny given the high stakes and costs involved. The study’s authors argue the bigger question going forward is how to preserve industry’s role in advancing drug innovation while maintaining transparency and protecting healthcare system sustainability.
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Citation of original article
ES Tarras, A Murayama, I Singh, LM Freeman, H Kugo, DC Marshall, “Industry Payments and Prescribing Patterns of Pulmonary Hypertension Therapies in the United States,” Pulmonary Circulation16 (2026): e70279. https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.70279.