1961-02-04 — Page 5

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!

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