CHICAGO, Ill. (WPVI) -- There's more evidence that special perks for doctors may have been driving prescriptions for opioids.
A small number of doctors who prescribe the most painkillers are also getting a lot of attention from drug companies.
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That's according to a new study in the journal of the American Medical Association.
The report says that at least 7-percent of doctors who prescribed opioids in 2015 got some kind of payment from pharmaceutical companies - for speaking, meals, or travel.
More than 6 million dollars of those payments came from three companies - Insys, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, and Janssen.
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Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve prescription drugs.
Study leaders say state and federal governments should put limits on the number and amount of payments to doctors.