Monday, May 24, 2010

Pharmacists take drug company to cour

From Stuff.co.nz:
Pharmacists are taking drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to court over the recall of a blood thinning drug, saying they are bearing the company's expenses in carrying out the work.

Pharmacist Ian Johnson, who owns Johnson's Pharmacy in Otara, south Auckland, and is president of the Pharmacy Guild, served a civil notice of claim on GSK in Manukau District court last week.

The claim is a test case after GSK earlier this year recalled of the blood thinner Marevan. A manufacturing error meant some 3mg tablets had higher doses.

"I accepted that I had a professional duty to safeguard my patients. But I also saw this as GSK, whose medicine this was, asking me in my professional and business capacity to do work for them - necessary and urgent work. I expected that I would be paid reasonable compensation for my work," Mr Johnson said.

He said he invoiced GSK $395.10. The money covered contacting seven patients for an average of 15 minutes each time, the dispensing fee for replacing four patients' Marevan tablets, administration costs, briefing staff, liaising with GPs, internal stock management and GSK paperwork. ...more

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