Drug Company Ends Doctor Payments
GlaxoSmithKline PLC, a British drug maker, announced Tuesday that it will no longer pay doctors to speak on behalf of its drugs, or about diseases treated by its drugs. In addition, the company announced it will no longer tie pay for sales representatives to the number of prescriptions written by doctors. Those two practices are two of the most widely criticized in the pharmaceutical industry. Glaxo said that the changes were not the result of an investigation by Chinese authorities this past summer into allegations of GSK bribing doctors, government officials, and hospitals.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC, a British drug maker, announced Tuesday that it will no longer pay doctors to speak on behalf of its drugs, or about diseases treated by its drugs. In addition, the company announced it will no longer tie pay for sales representatives to the number of prescriptions written by doctors. Those two practices are two of the most widely criticized in the pharmaceutical industry. Glaxo said that the changes were not the result of an investigation by Chinese authorities this past summer into allegations of GSK bribing doctors, government officials, and hospitals.