Sales reps’ presence tied to heart stent use: study

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Having sales representatives from medical device companies at hospitals may influence which products doctors use and ultimately drive up costs, according to a new study from Canada. Researchers found that doctors were more likely to use a company’s drug-coated heart stent when one of its sales representatives visited their hospital, which resulted in about a $250 higher bill per case. “We need to evaluate carefully any interactions with medical industry to ensure that we minimize an effect on our decision making process,” wrote Dr. …