Drug Companies Pay Telehealth Providers as 90% of Patients Get Prescriptions

Major pharmaceutical companies are increasingly paying telehealth providers to steer patients toward their medications, raising concerns about potential kickbacks and unnecessary prescribing.

Pfizer and Eli Lilly have both launched websites in the past two years that connect patients with telehealth doctors for conditions their drugs treat. The companies say these "talk to a doctor now" services increase access to care.

But the numbers reveal a different story. Populus Media, which runs telehealth prescribing programs for drug companies, reports that more than 90% of eligible patients who finish intake forms receive prescriptions for the specific drug they originally clicked on.

Telehealth started as a way to help patients reach doctors in remote areas or during emergencies. It has rapidly shifted into a drug sales tool, according to health policy experts tracking the industry.

Senators are now investigating these payment arrangements between drug companies and telehealth providers. Lawmakers worry the financial ties could violate anti-kickback laws designed to prevent doctors from prescribing medications based on money rather than medical need.

The trend toward bargain-basement telehealth visits makes these concerns more urgent, as patients may not realize their online doctor consultation is connected to a specific drug company's marketing efforts.