Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs
By KATIE THOMAS
Published: December 16, 2013 329 Comments
The British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline will no longer pay doctors to promote its products and will stop tying compensation of sales representatives to the number of prescriptions doctors write, its chief executive said Monday, effectively ending two common industry practices that critics have long assailed as troublesome conflicts of interest.
Neil Hall/Reuters
Andrew Witty, Glaxo’s chief executive, said the changes are part of an effort to “to try and make sure we stay in step with how the world is changing.”
Related in Opinion
ROOM FOR DEBATE
Developing Cures or Hyping Up Demand?
Can drug companies' influence over treatments for conditions like A.D.H.D. be reduced?
Readers’ Comments
Share your thoughts.
The announcement appears to be a first for a major drug company — although others may be considering similar moves — and it comes at a particularly sensitive time for Glaxo. It is the subject of a bribery investigation in China, where authorities contend the company funneled illegal payments to doctors and government officials in an effort to lift drug sales.
No comments:
Post a Comment