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  The Society for Consumer Advocates and Mavens

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PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY GIFTS TO PHYSICIANS

One reason prescribed drugs are so expensive to American consumers may be because the pharmaceutical industry lavishes expensive gifts, free trips, dinners, professional sport tickets, computers and even huge amounts of cash on doctors who may be willing to prescribe the gift-giving pharmaceutical companys drugs to unsuspecting patients. Critics charge that this may compromise the trust patients put in their doctors medical judgment when it comes time to prescribe certain drugs over other less expensive drugs.

Critics contend that the medical convention your doctor goes to may be nothing more than blatant bribery as pharmaceutical company reps (salespeople) are able to keep track of which doctors take the gifts and which doctors prescribe the companys drugs and how often!

SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: ABC-TV PRIMETIME 2/21/02

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