An analysis of recent antitrust issues affecting specialty practice: is dermatology immune?

Overview

In the healthcare industry, the rules of regulation and competition often collide. Despite the view of Medicine as a "learned profession", it is clear that physicians will be subject to the same legal restrictions against sharing price information as those in place for any other industry. Thus, the relevant provisions of antitrust law will apply to most activities of physicians. Although recent case law has involved actions undertaken by physicians in other specialties of Medicine (e.g. oncology) the activities reviewed will likely be applicable to Dermatologists as well.