The pharmaceuticals industry spent nearly €52m sponsoring Dutch doctors and healthcare institutions last year, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.

This is a rise of 36% on 2014, according to research by the healthcare transparency monitor Transparantieregister Zorg.

Of this, €8.6m went to 3,814 doctors. Most doctors just did one sponsored job for the pharma firms, but the best paid picked up €127,000 for working for the industry. Patient groups picked up €2.2m.

Most of the cash which went to care institutions was also spent on one-off projects although the biggest earner picked up €1.7m. In addition, one institution carried out 148 projects for drugs companies, the Volkskrant says.

Openness

Doctors’ organisation KNMG told the Volkskrant it would look carefully at the figures but pointed out fewer than 7% of doctors actually earn money on the side from the pharmaceuticals industry.

The sector’s own lobby group Nefarma said the amount of sponsorship money has gone up because openness about sponsorship has led to an increase in such arrangements.

The names of the hospitals and doctors which earn money from the pharmaceuticals’ industry will be published in the register later on Monday.