A New Jersey doctor landed a profitable job to speak for a prominent drug maker. Not many weeks after he started, he had to be absent and informed the saleswoman for the drug manufacturer that he would miss one already scheduled training session but, reportedly, claimed he would make it up to them. This is the kind of relationship some other doctors share with drug makers. They end up prescribing a certain drug to a ton of their patients as a favor. Authorities have concluded this doctor was working with the drug maker to aid an increasing drug addiction in New Jersey and both parties got rich off it. The doctor denied these allegations but concurred to a provisional license suspension for the inappropriate subscription.

Further measures

Authorities are pressing to permanently suspend the doctor’s license after a lawsuit has been filed against the drug maker. The lawsuit claims a sales representative of the drug company asked the doctor to keep prescriptions coming, but the company has not replied any messages. The doctor and his lawyer are ready to defend the case in court claiming he has had a clean record for over 25 years.

New regulations are being put in place to curb such relationships between doctors and drug makers in the future. The drug manufacturer has faced many similar lawsuits, and this doctor was better compensated than usual. Alleged evidence shows the company made millions off the transaction while the doctor got free trips and bonuses.

A terrible situation

Authorities claim the drugs the doctor kept pushing was potentially harmful to patients and such was only the kind of drug trafficking a street corner drug pusher will engage in, not a certified health worker. It is reported the doctor kept prescribing this drug to a female patient even though it conflicted with her other medication and could generate problems in breathing. Even with the risks and clear warnings, he continued the practice. He also kept prescribing the same drug to another male patient even though the patient did not fit the profile and whose medical condition did not merit the subscription. The new rules will also prohibit doctors from collecting gifts, cash and other entertaining items for services to drug manufacturers. Their annual service will have a $10,000 cap, and allowances will be reduced to stop such practices from continuing in New Jersey.