Date published: 2007/07/07
The BBC says:
Drug companies are bombarding GPs with promotional materials and inducements, campaigners say.
A poll of 200 GPs by consumer group Which? found they received four visits per month on average from drug reps.
They also received five promotional mailings about new drugs a week, and inducements to attend conferences.
Which? said it raised questions about drugs patients were being given by GPs, but a drug industry spokesman said it was vital doctors were kept up to date.
...
Neil Fowler, of Which?, said: "When you get a prescription from your GP, you want to know you've been prescribed the right drugs, not drugs produced by the company that spent a lot of money on promotion and inducements."We want to see more sources of independent information on drugs so that GPs can make balanced decisions, more limits on the marketing of drugs, and transparency about funding."
Richard Ley, spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: "I make no apologies for the fact that pharmaceutical companies are in close contact with doctors about new medicines.
"It is right and proper that they inform GPs about new medicines, and how they might benefit their patients, so that doctors are kept up to date."
Considering how much unsolicited junk mail Which sends out, they have a bit of a nerve. If they have something specific to complain about, let them do it. Instead the are just making general insinuations.
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