one of the many spearheads in a fiercely fought war
THE MAN WITH
The elegant man produced a big black bag and laid it on the doctor's desk.
e lot
+
drawing
by
A BIG BLACK BAG Robb
by
Denis Pitts
"Good morning, doctor," said. " nottee you had a of chronic bronchitis eases out-
Perhaps yo side this morning. will be interested in a product which we are trying out.
bag. Inside He opened his was a shiny collection of atomi gers, balins, cures and doses, 73.000,0 pills and pastes, and phials.
man, Bir-
The dry salesman work,
was
at
be
uilinogך
usual
the
"I read about it in a medical weelts are. 1 journal several don't see why he should stress it all over again."
Treatment n[ houses, all of whom are striving drug for the ter the biggest share in the particular chest complaini.
spent by Natural Helth Service un pre- scriptions each year.
An army of more than 6,000 saternen nake
an average of week on 45%
He led me into his secretary's MAX
of office to show me alea chiest
leaflets and with in picked
pamphlets from drug Bans
There were literally thousands
x calls each have Doctors' surgeries come the battlefield in a fiercely British doctor. Every
a different line Sought Star
drug them has between
drugs and treatments to offer.
That
* Just Fancy That !
WATCH out for the new affluent tramp, police in He Carpinteria, California, have been warned. carries around his own electric blanket, steals into empty houses, and plugs in for a warm night's sleep.
NOLFER Harold Drewell drove
a ball from
the
Gerenteenth ice nt Wit-Kent votre Cervesend
At the mome time the drug Arms are spending a recend sun of them. of money on promoting their cdrugs.
At present there are 170 drug companies Britalu. The post on the morning of the average British Most of the big companies
average
doctor contains about 12 letters have increased their promotion un drug manufacturers. Most budgets and!, in consequence, of these are bright and glessy, prints have risen, printed on expensive paper.
Tea chest
Some are Informative-with and und, as it flew through the air, saw it hit another ball detalled results of clinical
by doctors for. doctory-and some Le simple driven from the eighteenth tee, 200 yards away, by Mrurgical trials
appeals, similar detergent Sid Basson.
promotion.
A
* * *
to
But a portion of the profits is ploughed back into research which results in bencft for the medical profession and the patients.
The drive
than 21
The three
Боге types of drugs found he had affected belong to the pealella, hundredweight of paper. cortisone, and vitamin D 2
The #ght is getting more groups.
feree. One American company
on
Glaxo have been culling their has offered post-graduate National Health prices steadily courres for young doctors for the past 12 yers since the the uses of their drugs, rervice began.
Another is giving free lunches
Why then, the massive pro- for groups of general practi tioners in small town's-followe by fm shows on the benefits of - their products.
moon drive? One reason 15 the entry into the inarket of 1 American-dominated companies who see rich pickings the The latest iden is the use of Health Service. A number of
tech- modem public relations West German, Swiss, and niques. At American company French companies are entering which has a huge stock of polic the market, and-lo some - vaccine is using a private P.R. teni-endangering the British organisation to encourage share.
public to be vaccinated.
Consequently, the promotion pressure is increasing and. the salesmen are beccining more in sistent with the doctors.
A plug
The latest "gimmick" is #ramophone record
ان
the
The druggists' trade organisa- tion-the Association of British Industries-Is Pharmaceutical opposed to the gifts and gim-
micks.
Their spokesman said: "Our aim is to sell these drugs ethically und properly. Most of our salesmen are phar- a macists and. doctors respect these soft, then. We do deprecate
sad stretch of music by Brahms stupid stunts, however, And wa have a code which strictly limits on one side and on the other u
be the giving of expensive gifts. dialogue on depression"
consutitanL imd general practitioner.
tween
محمد
At the end of the talk comes a plug for a drug.
Other companies specialise in free gifts. One~ firm-British oned-seat
British every
larynga general practitioner a scope it Christmas time to pub- new antibiotic, Ench licise a
cost 27. of these lastruments
parliam catary
Industry
"As an industry we any doing all that we can to keep prices down. I'm sure that the Glaxo move will help this con- siderably."
been
Both publicly and in the medical Press there have scene hard words said about the pressure of salesmanship.
The news that the Glaxo The young Birmingham doctor group is cutting the cost of 20 of
to the sales its products is a major break listened patiently talk and ushered the salesman through in a determined attempt by druggists and the Ministry of Health to bring down National Bd. Health Service costs. Other questions about it.' companies are bound to follow
Doctors have been presented had a good word to say for the suit.
with big boxes of tongue de-
DETECTIVE phoned Edinburgh Jail at 3 am the
011 "I'm afraid you've lost one other day and said: of your prisoners." Warders shook their heads in dia- belief-until they found 25-year-old Nicky Brendan McMillan's cell empty.
Nichy had sawn through an iron bar and home to mother. He needed a holiday, he told She said he must go back but Nicky said "No."
gone
her.
So mother went off to tell the police. Nicky did not But his holiday was short wait for her to come back. lived. Nicky was recaptured that night.
There were
Not one of the doctors I met
stunts even for the
full-
"I don't mind these salesmen as long as they don't start talk ing nedleine with me," he said. "And when they do--and try t
Glaxo have managed this pressors (they use them when sized excellent reproductions of prove
know more that they
say "Aahh"). wooden famous paintings sont out (at a attempt to sell to them on the yachting trips, Florida holidays. about asthma or chronic bron- saving by "careful and method you
research," probes, swabs, and document cost of 24s. each) by one tran- American style. chitis than I do- throw them feat investment
cabes. said their spokesman. out.
quilliser manufacturer.
"They do waste a lot of time,
this has brought though. This
of man has been about easier, cheaper ways telling me a great deal about a produeing drugs," he added.
"In
Last year, one London dorlar
Their worry is that received 23 diaries. Another cord and the free lunches collected his post for a year and be the beginning OLNI
American drug companies... the far
Jess inhibited than the may British ones--have invited doc all-out tors
golfing weekends,
as well as flooding salca gimmicks.
4hom with
Let us hope that it doesn't happen in Britain,
-London Express Service),
Your
fun
really
starts
when
you're
there!
Have more time to be gay.more time to relax!
W
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