Senators investigate whether drugmaker-run telehealth platforms influence prescription drug choices.
A group of U.S. senators is raising questions about drugmakers’ Eli Lilly and Pfizer’s new online health services. These platforms, LillyDirect and PfizerForAll, let people set up appointments with healthcare providers and have medications sent straight to their homes. The concern isn’t about how easy the process is, but whether this convenience comes at the cost of medical independence.
LillyDirect launched earlier in the year and offers access to treatments for diabetes, migraines, and weight-related conditions—all made by Lilly. PfizerForAll, which came online over the summer, includes vaccine information, delivery services, and resources tied to Pfizer’s product lineup, including COVID-19 treatments and migraine drugs. Both platforms say they connect patients with outside providers who are free to make their own choices, but senators aren’t sure those providers are as independent as they’re claimed to be.
Four senators, Dick Durbin, Peter Welch, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, sent nearly identical letters to the two companies. They asked whether doctors working with these platforms might be pushed toward prescribing certain drugs, whether they’re the best fit for the patient or not. The concern is that the structure of these programs could lead to overprescribing or encourage the use of brand-name drugs when cheaper or better alternatives exist. That could lead to higher costs for government insurance programs and possibly violate laws meant to prevent pharmaceutical companies from using financial pressure to shape doctors’ decisions.
The senators pointed out how both websites describe specific treatments and then give a direct link to a doctor and a pharmacy. To them, that could make it seem like patients are guaranteed a prescription for the drug they read about, just by clicking a few buttons. Their letter described it as creating the appearance of company approval for both the medicine and the doctor providing it. They also referred to a past federal warning about how these setups could lead to Medicare fraud.
The lawmakers expressed concern that someone visiting Pfizer’s website could be guided straight to a provider connected to Pfizer, making it more likely the patient will ask for a Pfizer drug. The provider, in turn, might be influenced, either directly or indirectly, to give that drug, even when it’s not the best option. This kind of structure, they warned, risks turning medical decisions into sales transactions.
The senators want answers from both companies about the drugmakers’ plans. Their letters included 13 questions covering topics like how much say the companies have in what the providers talk about, how often the platforms result in prescriptions for Pfizer or Lilly drugs, and what kind of money is changing hands between the drugmakers and the telehealth companies they’re working with. Both companies have until November 25 to reply.
In a written statement, Lilly said that its platform was made to help people with long-term conditions find care more easily. The company stressed that all providers listed on the site are independent and not paid to prescribe anything in particular. It also said that no provider is required to send business back to Lilly, and that patients can use any doctor they choose. The company said it plans to explain all of this in more detail to the senators and directed people to its frequently asked questions page for more information.
Pfizer has not responded publicly to the senators’ letter.
As more patients turn to drugmakers’ online platforms, the balance between care and commerce is becoming harder to ignore. It’s about making sure people are getting the right care for the right reasons, without behind-the-scenes pressure tipping the scale. The next step will come once the companies respond and lawmakers decide whether to pursue further action.
Sources:
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