BMJ  2006;332:381 (18 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7538.381-a

News

Industry association suspends drug company for entertaining doctors

London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

One of the world's biggest drug companies has been suspended from its UK trade organisation after two of its employees went with a doctor to a lap dancing club and for providing other extensive hospitality.

Abbott Laboratories has admitted providing senior hospital consultants with tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and trips to greyhound racing. As a result the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has decided to suspend the company's membership for a minimum of six months—the severest penalty handed out by the organisation in 10 years.

In its ruling on 10 February the association said that the behaviour of Abbott's employees in attending a lap dancing club with a health professional would "bring discredit upon, and reduce confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry."

An anonymous "concerned member of the industry" blew the whistle on the hospitality, all of which took place in 2004. In January and September of that . . . [Full text of this article]

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