Congressman Henry Waxman yesterday released an analysis of over 20,000 documents indicating that Merck sent more than 3,000 highly trained representatives into doctor's offices and hospitals armed with misleading information about Vioxx's risks.
Waxman said, in a statement, "Merck and the drug industry say that the role of drug representatives is to educate doctors about new products and new medical research. But the documents tell a different story. The goal was sales, not education. Merck representatives were instructed to use subtle gestures to subconsciously gain the trust of physicians. They were permitted to use only "approved" journal articles, defined by Merck as articles that "provide solid evidence as to why [doctors] should prescribe Merck products.' And health risks were viewed as "obstacles" that the sales force was instructed to surmount."
Posted by schwitz at May 6, 2005 07:07 AM | TrackBack