Ministry Of Finance Targets Kickbacks To Doctors

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of pharmaceuticals is only permitted in the US and New Zealand. Other countries have determined that this practice encourages 'disease mongering' and the over-consumption of expensive, branded medicines. To maximise sales in non-DTC markets, drugmakers promote their products to healthcare professionals. One of the most common tactics is to offer 'incentives' - such as gifts, trips or cash bonuses - to doctors for prescribing certain medicines and meeting targets. The problem is that most people see this as unethical.

To read the full article, please choose one of the following options: