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A recent undercover investigator for The Telegraph newspaper1 in the UK uncovered some worrying practices. Allegedly some senior pharmacists set up their own advisory boards and sold their services to pharmaceutical companies. The meetings were held in various locations such as Dubai with charges of up to UK £15 000 being charged to the pharma companies in addition to lavish expenses related to flights, top hotels and meals. It is alleged that the board meetings resulted in increased use of the drugs under discussion. One of the pharmacists involved subsequently resigned and another has been suspended. There is said to be an inquiry at the highest level by the NHS England fraud department.2 ,3
Pharmacists have expertise in a wide range of issues …
Correspondence to Professor Phil Wiffen, Pain Research Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; phil.wiffen{at}ndcn.ox.ac.uk