U.S. Seeks Records of 80,000 Novartis `Sham' Events for Doctors

[MADem]

The U.S. is asking Novartis AG to provide records of about 80,000 “sham” events in which the government says doctors were wined and dined so they would prescribe the company’s cardiovascular drugs to their patients.
The Swiss drugmaker and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney are engaged in a whistle-blower lawsuit that alleges Novartis provided illegal kickbacks to health-care providers through bogus educational programs at high-end restaurants and sports bars where the drugs were barely discussed.
In a filing Friday, the U.S. said it needs Novartis to provide information to support its allegation that the company defrauded federal health-care programs of hundreds of millions of dollars over a decade by inducing doctors to prescribe its medications through sham speaker events.
“The requested documents go to the core issues in this case: whether educational materials were provided at these events; which doctors actually attended the events; how much money was spent on meals and honoraria; and indeed, most fundamentally, whether the underlying documentation shows that a particular event actually took place,” the government said in its court filing.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-26/u-s-seeks-records-of-80-000-novartis-sham-events-for-doctors

[Socal31]

1. Big Pharma entertaining its dealers isn't a shock.

People really think all GlaxoSmithPfizer provide doctors are free note pads and crappy lunch catering?

[pediatricmedic]

2. The lunch catering was actually pretty good

[MADem]

3. Oh, I know. I have a distant cousin who is engaged in that shameful practice, and I find

it despicable. He works for some pharmaceutical company (can't remember which, I only see him at weddings and funerals) and he is stinking rich. Sure forgot his roots, too--shameless consumer, living a life of ease, without a thought as to how he's doing it on the backs of people in the donut hole or on a fixed income.

It sickens me, frankly. His kids have all gone to the "best" universities, he always drives the latest car, has several fancy homes, wears the most expensive suits, and he has the moral compass of a fig.

When he was a kid we always thought he'd do some good--he had the brains. He just didn't have the will, apparently.

[Wilms]

4. Wow!

I have a friend who describes a cousin working in Big Pharm the same EXACT way you just did! Dang!