What's the connection between China, Iraq and Poland?
Here's some subtle clues.
Clue Number One
Clue Number Two
Clue Number Three
Here's another clue in the form of a photograph.
Yesterday I witnessed a footballer for Swansea City being sent off by the referee for committing two fouls. He will now face a ban.
In the space of a few months British pharmaceutical company GSK have been embroiled in illegal activities in China, Iraq and Poland - They have not been punished for allowing these illegal activities to happen.
BBC's Panorama - Who's Paying Your Doctor?, airs tonight in the UK. The investigation will show how eleven doctors and a GSK regional manager have been charged over alleged corruption between 2010 and 2012.
A former sales rep said doctors were paid to promote GSK's asthma drug Seretide.
All part of an era huh?
GSK have issued a statement ahead of tonight's programme. You will note the lack of accountability.
“A GSK programme to assist in improving diagnostic standards and medical training, in order to benefit patient treatment and care with regard to respiratory disease, was run by doctors and other healthcare professionals in Poland. The programme ran from 2010 to 2012.
“Training on proper diagnostics for medical personnel and group meetings for patients were organised as part of this programme. These sessions were delivered by specialist healthcare professionals who, based on contracts signed with GSK, received payments appropriate to the scope of work as well as their level of knowledge and experience. The provision of sessions under this programme was agreed with the Polish healthcare centres.
“Following receipt of allegations regarding the conduct of the programme in the Lodz region, GSK has investigated the matter, using resources from both inside and outside the company. The investigation found evidence of inappropriate communication in contravention of GSK policy by a single employee. The employee concerned was reprimanded and disciplined as a result.
“We continue to investigate these matters and are co-operating fully with the CBA.
“We agree there is a need to modernise interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare professionals to ensure patients’ interests are always put first and to eliminate even a perception of a conflict of interest. This is why we have made, and will continue to make, fundamental changes to our business such as opening up access to our clinical trial data, changing how we pay our sales representatives and stopping payments to healthcare professionals for speaking engagements and for attendance at medical conferences.”
Good old Glaxo - making an official statement AFTER they have been busted.
Bob Fiddaman
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