PHARMACEUTICALS-ROMANIA Romania investigates suspected drug company bribes

Record ID: 145665

  • Title: PHARMACEUTICALS-ROMANIA Romania investigates suspected drug company bribes
  • Date: 30th July 2015
  • Summary: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (JULY 30, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ROMANIAN HEALTH MINISTRY HEALTH MINISTRY SIGN VARIOUS OF HEALTH MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN OANA GRIGORE WORKING IN OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) HEALTH MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN, OANA GRIGORE, SAYING: "The health ministry condemns the situation whereby a doctor can be influenced by a pharmaceuticals company regarding his prescr
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Romania
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEW72U4VSEXVXG6J4GA8QZAWCE
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors have conducted a series of searches at drug companies, hospitals and clinics this week to investigate suspected bribes paid to doctors for prescribing cancer drugs.
    The country's National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) said in an emailed statement that its officials visited 61 premises across the country on July 28 as part of a probe into potentially corrupt payments made since 2012.
    "At this moment over 60 raids are taking place. The goal of these raids is to identify some documents and other necessary elements in order to finalise the investigation. We are looking for certain doctors and drugs distribution companies representatives," Anti-Corruption Office chief Laura Kovesi said on Tuesday (July 28).
    The DNA said the file was related to "suspicions of corruption offences regarding the manner in which a series of medicines were prescribed and purchased by certain health institutions and medical doctors in Romania".
    The case is separate from allegations made by a whistleblower that Britain's GlaxoSmithKline paid Romanian doctors to prescribe medicines for prostate problems and Parkinson's disease.
    Local media reported that 11 drug companies, supplying both branded and generic oncology medicines, were implicated in the DNA investigation.
    The Romanian health ministry condemned the alleged malpractice.
    "The health ministry condemns the situation whereby a doctor can be influenced by a pharmaceuticals company regarding his prescription. It is not something we are proud of, or something we are condoning," health ministry spokeswoman Oana Grigore told Reuters.
    "The health minister is asking all pharmaceutical companies to make public any sponsorships they are making for Romanian doctors for different studies. The national drug agency is starting to publish doctors' and pharmaceutical companies' declarations regarding sponsorships," she added.
    One patient association urged caution, warning that investigations could be disruptive and distressing for people undergoing treatment.
    "Any patient, at the moment when he finds out that there is a problem in a (medical) system -- for example he can't find a drug, or the doctor who's prescribing a drug is suspect for something and he can lose contact with him -- enters a panic situation. That's why I say it's not good to make things public (referring to Anti-Corruption Office actions in hospitals) till the moment we know that there is indeed a situation when medical procedure was compromised," president of the Coalition of Chronic Disease Patients' Organisations, Radu Ganescu, said.
    Switzerland's Roche, the world's larger cancer drug maker, confirmed its offices were among those visited by the DNA and said it was cooperating fully with the authorities.
    Roche also said its general manager and finance head in Romania had left the company earlier this year. A spokesman declined to go into further details.
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