Drugs giant accused of bribing doctors

Italian police have charged 72 doctors and employees of drugs giant, GlaxoSmithKline, following a bribery probe involving millions of euro in gifts and cash.

An additional 2,902 doctors and GlaxoSmithKline staff are under investigation, said police in Rome.

Police said Glaxo staff gave money, electronic gadgets and other expensive gifts to Italian doctors to have them prescribe more Glaxo pharmaceuticals. Italian law allows drug companies to host conferences and dinners, and give presents worth less than £15.

Glaxo’s Italian medical director Giuseppe Recchia said the company learned about the investigation today and that it had always acted within the law.

Spokesman Martin Sutton at Glaxo’s London headquarters said he didn’t know enough about the charges to comment, but added: “We take this kind of thing very seriously and are fully co-operating with the authorities.”

The doctors and Glaxo workers charged with corruption and bribery face up to five years in jail if convicted.

Police said the investigation followed a routine Glaxo audit in July, which turned up about €90.1m in expenses for 2001-02 that were attributed to “other promotions” and were allegedly funding illegal gifts.

Police say Glaxo also tracked whether specific gifts led to increased prescriptions.

Glaxo is the second-largest pharmaceutical company in the world and the largest drug company in Italy.