Congressional investigators have determined that the drug industry's educational grants are often steered to physicians as a way to promote drugs for unapproved uses. The Senate Finance Committee has determined that 23 drug companies laid out $1.47 billion in 2004 in education grants. The New York Times reports that the committee sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson suggesting that the use of educational grants for marketing purposes is widespread. Drug companies are prohibited from marketing a drug for off-label uses, but doctors are free to prescribe a drug for any condition and the off-label use of drugs is a standard feature in the medical community.
- read this article from The New York Times for more information