Prescription Drug Giant Crosses Ethical Boundaries

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According to a report by NEWS.com, Roche, a large prescription drug manufacturer, crossed an ethical boundary when it treated hundreds of doctors to expensive meals at some of Australia's most exclusive restaurants. One of these meals cost more than $65,000 USD as Roche paid the bill for over 200 cancer specialists to eat at the Guillaume at Bennelong, and exclusive restaurant inside the famous Sydney Opera House. This is just one example of the many times this drug manufacturer may have broken the pharmaceutical industry's code of conduct in Australia which states that meals sponsored by companies need to be "simple and modest." A drug marketing watchdog group has filed a formal complaint regarding this breach of ethical conduct. A specialist in ethics at Sydney University believes that this type of extravagant treatment leads to the high cost of prescription drugs to patients.