Former rep blew whistle on Merck Sharp & Dohme resulting in ABPI suspension
Pharma Compliance Alert, October 4, 2006
Offering special services only to high-prescribing physicians has resulted in Merck Sharp & Dohme's suspension from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Merck Sharp & Dohme is Merck & Co.'s United Kingdom arm.
According to the ABPI, the company offered the services of nurse advisors to help screen blood pressure patients to physicians' offices based on the sales and prescribing behavior of the doctors there. The complaint was brought to the APBI's attention anonymously by a former sales rep for the company, who had reportedly raised concerns about the issue with several supervisors and received no answer.
A slide presentation used to train reps about the program was deemed "totally unacceptable" by the ABPI because it didn't mention the need to separate medical and educational goods and services from drug promotion.
Merck is suspended from the ABPI for at least three months. Go to the ABPI Web site to read more about this case, reference number: AUTH 1814/3/06. Read the press release here.
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