Bayer Chastised For Nightcaps After A Medical Conference

File this under 'just say no.' A senior Bayer staffer bought nightcaps for three delegates in a hotel bar until the early morning hours following an awards dinner at a medical conference this past July in Amsterdam. Why? Afterwards, they escorted the Bayer staffer back to her hotel and had some drinks while waiting for their taxi to arrive. Was this an innocuous moment passing the time? Presumably, the delegates - a group that included a pair of Bayer contractors - were being polite and collegial. And since a taxi was not expected to arrive immediately, the group decided to simply pass the time. The time was nearly midnight. All totaled, four drinks cost about $45. Eventually, the taxi arrived and they went on their way. But the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, a voluntary UK industry panel that monitors company behavior, decided there was a bit of a problem and ruled that a breach of accepted practices occurred. Notably, Bayer’s own standard operating procedures noted that purchasing alcoholic drinks after a dinner is not acceptable. For its part, Bayer attempted to portray this as an ordinary incident that took place as part of the events after a dinner at the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis Congress. In its defense, the drugmaker submitted a bill, but this included food and drink for the entire day, and not an itemized breakdown showing what was purchased at the bar that night. Consequently, the PMCPA panel ruled that it was not poss...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs