It's okay, GSK haven't branched out into the holiday business, although if they did one could only speculate that the choice of airline may have defective planes.
This is more about what's been going on in China over the past few years.
Glaxo, Britain's largest pharmaceutical company, are currently under investigation by Chinese officials regarding payments, holidays and sexual favours made to healthcare professionals in an effort to get them to prescribe more of GSK's branded drugs.
The Wall Street Journal are reporting that Glaxo reps organised all expenses paid trips to Chinese doctors to tour the scenic river town of Guilin, China's most picturesque region which has long been one of the world's most famous travel destinations.
The WSJ are also alleging that Chinese healthcare professionals were also sent to other exotic destinations such as Hungary and Greece in an effort to get them to prescribe Botox, best known for its ability to combat crow's feet and other facial wrinkles. Botox has another 26 treatable indications which include chronic migraines, uncontrollable blinking and overactive bladders, ironically, losing control of your bladder is one of the side effects associated with Botox.
Glaxo reps, according to documents leaked to the WSJ, also offered special payments to doctors who sold the most amount of drugs within the years quarter.
As all this filters through from China lest we forget that female reps were, allegedly, also instructed to prostitute themselves to doctors [back story].
Whatever it takes eh?
According to the WSJ, Glaxo officials have declined to make any comment regarding the latest allegations. This is normally the stance, they wait and then issue a denial and "we are currently investigating" type of statement.
You gotta love this company, they are the masters of avoidance, in more ways than one. They avoid the truth, even when evidence is overwhelming and they avoid custodial sentences because nobody can ever get to the root of the problem. Glaxo reps will say they were trained, Glaxo's managers were say they weren't... litigation ensues and deals are struck... Glaxo walk free without entering any guilty plea... in other words, they continue to bang the 'we've done nothing wrong' drum.
The WSJ article can be read here
Bob Fiddaman
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