A Drug Company With A Hit List?

Say it isn’t so! And yes, you read the title correctly. Reports surfaced recently that International Pharmaceutical giant Merck had a hit list of Doctors who criticized their popular drug VIOXX. Of course it wasn’t a literal hit list but it was bad enough. According to the Australian News, the company assembled a list of physicians that they sought to both “silence” and discredit. Their tactics included interfering with academic appointments and the threat of withholding funding from research projects on which that particular Doctor was working.

Most of those on the list expressed previous concerns regarding the dangerous and life threatening side effects that the popular pain killer was having. At the height of its use in 1999, VIOXX boasted some 80 Million users. Not long after that, people begin coming forward citing the drug for causing heart attacks and strokes! Merck denied any wrongdoing of course but the court didn’t see it that way. The company had to pay out a $4.85 Billion class action settlement but in return didn’t have to admit guilt. VIOXX was taken off of the market in 2004.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The fact that the physicians and drug companies are often to close for comfort has been a pet peeve of ours for years. To our thinking, it seems difficult Doctors to provide an unbiased opinion and correct prescription if they are allowing the drug companies to exert undue influence on them. Doctor’s swear a solemn oath to put their patients care before anything else. Thankfully, Merck got their hand slapped and hopefully this will give pause to other drug companies who are acting in similar fashion.

There are no easy solutions to this ongoing dilemma, but we do believe some action needs to be taken. First, we must demand more stringent guidelines for pharmaceutical companies. They should have the toughest accountability and the highest ethical standards. After all, the safety of the public hangs in the balance. Second, we need to enact stiffer penalties. As we said earlier, this multi-billion dollar settlement was a slap on the wrist for a company like Merck. Perhaps the principles should serve jail time along, community service, etc. Third, the laws need to be changed. This is difficult too in that many of the drug companies also have very good lobbyists who work tirelessly on their behalf. We believe the best defense of all though is an informed public. It’s important to know what you are taking and why. It’s necessary to research the physician that prescribed that drug to you and their relationship with its manufacturer. It’s up to all of us to hit back.