Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Conference freebies - contributions welcome

Big Pharma sponsored conferences are usually awash with gifts from the munificent firms. These freebies range from pens bearing company logos to copious food and drink.

The Second European Influenza Conference, which took place in Malta recently, was no exception. But companies are clearly casting about for novel ways to impress. Points for unintended (we hope) hilarity go to the firm that handed out bath oil beads - packaged in very sharp, pointy little plastic pyramids and thoughtfully placed on the seats of a darkened lecture hall. We are not aware of any serious injuries, though there were some near misses.

But top marks go to the company that offered delegates a free sample of its product - a flu vaccination, provided by a friendly Maltese doctor in the corporate hospitality suite. Uptake appeared to be good, even though the jab obviously does not protect against the bird flu that preoccupied the meeting.

Insider recalls a branded "smoke hood" giveaway a number of years back.

LOL

So, just as the plane is crashing and burning the MDs put on their hood and think "I must prescribe more Panexa"!

Source: New Scientist, hat tip: Brad at http://robothink.blogspot.com/

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