DarshanTalks Podcast
Welcome to DarshanTalks!
We demystify fraud for legal, regulatory, and compliance essentials in the life sciences and pharmacy industries. Through engaging 15-30-minute interviews with influential change makers, short educational regulatory defbriefs, and 60 second audio takeaways, we unveil the strategies behind bringing drugs and devices to market—and keeping them there!
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We focus on life science issues involving medical affairs, marketing and advertising, and clinical research so that you can learn about the industry, enhance your business and grow your career.
DarshanTalks Podcast
Price Fixing in Clinical Research
At the Save Our Sites (SOS) conference, many site owners expressed excitement over finally having a space to openly discuss real challenges—budgets, pricing, contracting, and the isolation of being a site owner. While the intent was mutual support, concerns quickly arose when some attendees began advocating for standardized pricing across sites (e.g., "$200 for an X-ray")—a move that borders on illegal price fixing.
Darshan raised red flags, emphasizing that while site collaboration is valuable, actions like setting uniform pricing or paying for patient referrals can violate antitrust and anti-kickback laws. Edye pointed out that many site owners, especially those without traditional academic or regulatory backgrounds, may genuinely not know these rules.
They agreed: sites need spaces for community and education, but must distinguish between support networks and collective negotiation efforts—especially since the latter may trigger legal concerns such as RICO violations or be misinterpreted as forming a union. The bottom line? Intent isn’t enough. Awareness and compliance matter.
