VOA常速英语2007-Consumers Watchdog Says Drug Companies Give Gift

By Tendai Maphosa
London
31 October 2007

A report from the watchdog group Consumers International says multi-national pharmaceutical¹ companies are targeting doctors in developing countries with dinners and lavish² gifts as incentives³ to prescribe their drugs.  Tendai Maphosa reports for VOA from London Consumers International is also critical of drug advertisements in developing countries that sometimes promote a drug without mentioning the side effects or the restrictions⁴ on its use.

The Consumer International report called Drugs, Doctors and Dinners says leading pharmaceutical companies shower gifts on doctors in developing countries with the intention of promoting sales of their drugs.

The report says the gifts range from small items such as pens and notebooks to expensive foreign holidays, televisions, air conditioners, school tuition fees, and jewelry⁵.  Doctors can also be rewarded for writing a specified⁶ number of prescriptions⁸ of a company's high-priced drug with a down payment on a brand new car.

Consumer International's Luke Upchurch said the findings of the report are based on research in nine developing countries.  He said the companies are using tried and tested methods they have used in western countries for many years to try to influence prescription⁷ behavior of doctors. 

He said the practice could lead to irrational⁹ drug use.  He said figures show up to 50 percent of the drugs in developing countries are mis-prescribed or mis-sold to consumers. 

Upchurch said the doctors supported the findings of the report.

"Doctors interestingly will admit it themselves that the behavior of drug companies does influence prescription behavior and the more money spent on gifts, the more money spent trying to convince doctors to prescribe certain drugs or to consider certain drugs in their prescription really does work," he said.

The report also says drug companies use advertisements in developing countries that sometimes promote a drug without mentioning the side effects or the restrictions on its use - for instance that it works in women, but not men. 

Upchurch says consumers in developing countries lack the information and sometimes the education to question doctors or to seek alternatives.  A lack of resources, he says, is leaving the drug companies to carry out their practice unchecked.

"The issue for governments in the developing world, which does contribute to the problem, is the tremendous lack of resources they have in being able to monitor these drug companies and their behavior," he added.  "It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, resources, and money to keep track of what drug companies are doing in promoting their products.  We feel that drug companies are taking advantage of this weak or inadequate¹⁰ infrastructure¹¹ which you find in a lot of developing countries."

The report says that self-regulation by the multinational¹² drug giants has failed.  An international ban of companies giving presents to doctors Upchurch says, is the only solution that would remove all ambiguity¹³.

1 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

2 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

3 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

7 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

8 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。

9 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

10 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

13 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。