A bit scary

I don't mean to target the pharmaceutical industry but I do have problems with the costs of medications which is why I always read the articles about them. Then the articles intrigue me and I start blogging about them.

Last week I saw one on how Glaxo SmithKline executives were being detained in China - charged with bribery. This is not the first time that this has happened and probably not the last as well.

Then this morning's news adds to that to say that GSK may have not been using good business practices in managing their clinical trials in China. They even admit that some of their executives might have broken the law. And business practices of other pharmaceutical companies will be examined.

Its one thing to pay a lot of money for medications because of the rationale that their research costs are so high. But its another thing all together if they are not working within the law and using questionable handling of clinical trials. Possibly even not reporting the results of animal testing.

Now I feel so much better. The really expensive drugs may not have been put through all the clinical trials that are required. How comforting. Short cuts always come back to get you in the end. But from the patient perspective, it is a bit scary.