News organizations across the country are continuing to generate their own stories using our Dollars for Docs data. The Washington Post has a piece today, “More rules are needed to curb drug firms' attempts to influence physicians” by Manoj Jain, an infectious-disease specialist in Memphis, examining the precarious relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. Jain, who shared our investigation with his colleagues, revealed why he no longer takes appointments with drug-company representatives and discussed the need for greater transparency and increased regulation within the industry.

This past weekend, the Herald Sun in North Carolina officials from UNC and Duke are already “revising their conflict of interest policies” as a result of our database. On Sunday, the Des Moines Register wrote an extensive report that included a breakdown of payments from pharmaceutical companies to Iowan physicians and interviews with local healthcare officials. And an article published by the Times Free Press of Chattanooga, revealed how five Tennessee doctors are among the highest paid by pharmaceutical companies, while Tennessee ranked No. 2 in the nation for prescription drug use in 2008.

Other news organizations that have localized Dollars for Docs data include: Charleston Post-Courier and The Redding Record-Searchlight.

Reporters: It is not too late to publish your own stories using the Dollars for Docs data. The Dollars for Docs teleconference was converted into a podcast, which you can access to learn how to localize the data for your own reporting. Healthcare reporters Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber are available for interviews and to share their advice.

Feel free to sign-up for the Dollars for Docs alert in order to receive notification when we update data.