Eleven former executives from TAP pharmaceutical products went on trial after they were accused of bribing doctors and hospitals with kickbacks, providing they bought their medications.
To date, the company has already paid $875 million to settle charges that the company bribed doctors to prescribe the prostate cancer medication Lupron at inflated prices. Experts involved in the case said the marketing campaign for the TAP employees focused on providing doctors with extra perks if they purchased the drug, rather than selling the drug because it was better and had fewer side effects.
According to experts, the drug companies bribed the doctors with attractive offers such as ski trips and golf outings.
There were also evidence of money that was being spent on doctors’ bar tabs and cocktail parties that fell under the category of "educational grants." Other experts have referred to this practice as a broad scheme to pick the pockets of cancer-stricken, vulnerable, elderly Americans and all taxpayers.
Since the alleged crimes, the pharmaceutical companies have tightened their reins on gifts to doctors and have set more strict and comprehensive guidelines.
While consumers have perceived these implemented guidelines as smoke screens, prosecutors stated their hopes of criminal indictments as a more effective means to stopping this practice of kickbacks than voluntary guidelines.
ABC News April 13, 2004
This is really not breaking news, as this practice has been going on for many years, but it just serves to further confirm the message I am getting out, which is that the traditional medical paradigm is seriously flawed, and as a consumer it is up to you to arm yourself with facts about prescription drugs and other health care matters prior to making your decision to accept them.
Many people who read my newsletter find that they are one step ahead of what goes on with corrupt pharmaceutical companies such as these. With Americans spending over $500 billion a year on drugs, this has become a catastrophic problem and the one way you can find out the truth is by educating yourself about health-related issues.
The purpose of my free newsletter is to provide you with insight from leading experts from around the world who have done the research for you and are focused on the same goal, treatment and prevention, not concealing symptoms.
So, in short, what is the solution for not getting burned by the pharmaceutical companies any more?
Knowledge.
Along with reading the information in my newsletter and looking through the links below, I also strongly recommend you read Trust Us, We're Experts. This accessible and often startling book blows the lid right off the industries that manipulate "scientific fact" to ridiculous (but, sadly, effective) ends to sell gobs of their harmful products. It truly belongs on every American's bookshelf.
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