Light shed on this phenomenon is certainly good.<p>Yet it almost seems unfair to only show pharmaceuticals ties. Drug company corruption of doctors is on the "retail" level of individually giving favors. A full picture would involve retail and wholesale ties between doctors, drug makers, medical device makers, hospitals, insurance companies, regulators, professional associations and so-on.<p>And even such a picture would only be a start to keeping regulation from being a division of spoils rather than real cost cutting.