A 5-Year Analysis of Physician-Industry Interactions, Physician Gender, and Anti-VEGF Use in US Ophthalmologists Short Title: Physician-Industry Interactions and Anti-VEGF Use

• Published in: Seminars in ophthalmology Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 804 - 811
• Main Authors: Watane, Arjun, Kalavar, Meghana, Patel, Marissa, Yannuzzi, Nicolas, Vanner, Elizabeth A., Kuriyan, Ajay E., Sridhar, Jayanth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 17-11-2021
• Subjects: Anti-VEGF; gender; industry; Medicare; Pharmaceutical; Practice patterns
• ISSN: 0882-0538; 1744-5205
• DOI: 10.1080/08820538.2021.1922710

Purpose: To explore physician gender, industry payments, and prescribing habits of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents.
Methods: Retrospective review of U.S. ophthalmologists prescribing and receiving industry payments for aflibercept and/or ranibizumab (brand anti-VEGF injections) between August 2013 to December 2017.
Results: Men receiving industry payments were older and had longer post-residency experience than women (both P < .001). Men were more likely to receive industry payments (P = .01), receive >5 payments (P = .003), and receive payments totaling >$1000 (P = .008). Men administered more injections on average than women when receiving >3 industry payments (P < .001) or when receiving >$100 (P < .01). On multivariate analysis, years in practice, male gender, number of payments, and total value of payments were independent factors associated with the number of brand injections administered (all P < .001).
Conclusions: A positive association between industry payments and brand anti-VEGF use was identified, however, causality was not determined. Gender bias may be present in physician-industry relationships.