Pfizer Admits Guilt in Promotion of Neurontin--Agrees to Pay $430 Million
"The commercially successful marketing "miracle" of Nuerontin was achieved through a collaborative effort of the company and leading physicians who were given financial incentives to encourage their colleagues--under the pretext of providing "continuing medical education"--to prescribe a largely ineffective drug for unapproved, diverse and unrelated conditions. Essentially physicians were "educated" to use their prescribing license to increase profits rather than to improve their patients' health. The Wall Street Journal reports that studies have found off-label use accounted for 40% to 50% of all prescriptions."
If ever a doctor is about to write you a scrip for something which sounds a little exotic, and doesn't necessarily seem to be something generally prescribed to relieve your symptoms, please look them straight in the eye, and ask, "Is this considered an "off label" use of this medication?!?"
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