Milanda Rout; 16/5/09
Australian sales staff of the pharmaeutical giant that produced anti-arthritis drug Vioxx were trained to get past “difficult” receptionists so they could spruik their products to doctors. The Federal Court was told Merck, Sharp and Dohme taught its sales representatives how to deal with receptionists at medical clinics who would not let them see doctors. They were also instructed how to deal with doctors who did not want to see the sales representatives. Merck, Sharp and Dohme and its parent company Merck & Co are being sued by more than 1000 Australians, led by Graeme Peterson, who claims the drug caused his heart attack in December 2003.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25490665-5013404,00.html; A dose of bad medicine?; Kate Hagan; 16/5/09; http://www.theage.com.au/national/a-dose-of-bad-medicine-20090515-b64w.html