Drug company bribes?

The Huffington Post reported today that drug company Pfizer agreed to pay $60 million dollars to settle foreign bribery charges – that it paid doctors and foreign officials to declare their drugs were safe for use.

Should we be surprised?

No – not really.  The entire pharmaceutical model is a sales game, akin to patent medicine and snake oil sales of days past.

I found a great little piece from an ex-pharmaceutical rep that proves this point rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOW8LNU2hFE&feature=relmfu

Billions of dollars of fines have already been levied against another big drug company for unethical practices.  $60 million is a drop in the bucket.

It does make me wonder whether the efforts to invalidate chiropractic and natural health products such as herbs and vitamins is really just the “traditional” medical establishment accusing others of what they themselves are doing.