It is not known exactly how much money the pharmaceutical industry spends on promotional activities. It is, however, clear that it is a very large amount - some estimates put it at more than Dollars US5O billion per year in the USA alone - and that it exceeds industry expenditure on research and development.1 Promotional activities take many forms, including provision of samples, face-to-face 'detailing' meetings between industry representatives and prescribers, advertising in print and the electronic media, and support for meetings and travel. One of the activities that has come under closest scrutiny in recent years is the provision of gifts to physicians, which themselves may vary from practice-related items of trivial value to expensive goods intended for the exclusive personal use of the recipients.
展开▼
