Seeking to juice profits, some Indian drug makers bribe doctors with credit cards, free trips, interest payments on car loans, advisory board fees, and women who provide “entertainment,” according to a report from an advocacy group, which argued such practices threaten to undermine public health.
In fact, as many as 80% of physicians in India may accept inducements, an issue made easier by a lack of regulation and a failure by professional societies to promote ethics, the Support for Advocacy and Training to Health Initiatives found after interviewing 50 sales reps, doctors, and industry executives.
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