Pfizer to pay record $2.3B penalty over promotions

[Fredrick]

TBO.com - News From AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, will pay a record $2.3 billion civil and criminal penalty over unlawful prescription drug promotions.
Announcing the settlement Wednesday, the Justice Department said that it included the largest criminal fine in U.S. history - $1.2 billion. The agreement also included a criminal forfeiture of $105 million.
Authorities called Pfizer a repeat offender, noting it is the fourth such settlement of government charges in the last decade. They said the government will monitor the company's conduct for the next five years to rein in the abuses.
To promote the drugs, authorities said Pfizer invited doctors to consultant meetings at resort locations, paying their expenses and providing perks.

It's about time! But it's just sad that this is thier FOURTH infraction of the same kind, and all they get is fines, and a five year probation. When will they do something about this? When Pfizer goes broke and can't pay fines?

 

[aditas]

Something tells me that they are buying a whole lot more than a court fine with that $2.3B.

 

[quetzacoatl]

Seems strange, if their crime was that bad, why didn't anyone get put in jail? Oh, yeah... money.

 

[dragonpuff]

TBO.com - News From AP


It's about time! But it's just sad that this is thier FOURTH infraction of the same kind, and all they get is fines, and a five year probation. When will they do something about this? When Pfizer goes broke and can't pay fines?

Pfizer will NEVER be broke, that's the problem. The government that's doling out their "punishment" is the very same government getting paid by them.

Pitiful

 

[Fredrick]

Pfizer will NEVER be broke, that's the problem. The government that's doling out their "punishment" is the very same government getting paid by them.

Pitiful

That's kind of what I was alluding to dragonpuff. They will not do anything, except make money off of them. No criminal charges(for those involved at Pfizer), no license to practice revoked(the doctors involved), and no reparations to the patients that may have suffered. It's all completely criminal.

I myself had to see a psych after problems with Chantix(Pfizer), and I was simply called Bi-polar and prescribed another Pfizer product. After 3 months I took myself of of the meds AGAINST my doctors orders, and I have not had one single problem in over a year, as I never had a problem in my 28 years before Chantix. Those seminars he spoke to me about him being a keynote speaker at seem to ring a bell now. He insisted that my problems did not stem from Chantix, and even tried to get me back on it at one point. I will be looking into a list a doctors that were linked to being involved in this, for my own welfare, and others.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

This doesn't specifically note Pfizer, however, someone on another forum pointed me to this.

Please note it IS an OPINION piece and I have been trying to figure out where it best fits on ECF to share....

Considering Pfizer is Pharm... I thought here might be good.

Don't get TOO fired up and this isn't so we can all just start screaming "Screw Obama"... but I love a good conspiracy theory LOL and this seems like an interesting puzzle piece that for some reason... might not make it into main stream news.

The White House deal with Big Pharma undermines democracy | Salon

 

[dragonpuff]

That's kind of what I was alluding to dragonpuff. They will not do anything, except make money off of them. No criminal charges(for those involved at Pfizer), no license to practice revoked(the doctors involved), and no reparations to the patients that may have suffered. It's all completely criminal.

I myself had to see a psych after problems with Chantix(Pfizer), and I was simply called Bi-polar and prescribed another Pfizer product. After 3 months I took myself of of the meds AGAINST my doctors orders, and I have not had one single problem in over a year, as I never had a problem in my 28 years before Chantix. Those seminars he spoke to me about him being a keynote speaker at seem to ring a bell now. He insisted that my problems did not stem from Chantix, and even tried to get me back on it at one point. I will be looking into a list a doctors that were linked to being involved in this, for my own welfare, and others.

I've seen this happen to multiple people in my life, not just from Chantix but from antidepressants as well. A lot of doctors believe the FDA's word and will tell you point blank that since they were not informed of this as a possibility, then it must not be the drug.

I have actually had a doctor, on more than one occasion, look me in the eye and tell me point blank, "that is not in the list of side effects," as if i was lying to them or something! Once i was on a med that made me severely depressed (and my doc insisted this was not possible) to the point were i "went against medical advice" and refused to take it. Years later, physicians were given "new information" that it may cause depression. Go figure.

Sorry about the rant, but i've been angry with Big Pharma and drug-company driven medicine for a long time! I've seen it hurt a lot of people.

I think we would all love to see medicine driven by the facts instead. This is why i will never take any medicine that has been on the market for less than 5 years. It's sad.