A doctor's is a 'big bucket of money, grab a handful', said fired Astra sales chief
Published: 21 April 2007
The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is at the centre of a storm in the US after firing one of its sales directors for comments he made likening doctors' offices to "a big bucket of money".
Documents have surfaced on industry insider websites allegedly describing illegal drug marketing practices and AstraZeneca has since launched an investigation into the activities of several employees.
Mike Zubillaga, who was regional sales director for AstraZeneca's Mid-Atlantic Business Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania, was quoted in a internal newsletter saying: "I see it like this: there is a big bucket of money sitting in every office. Every time you go, you reach your hand in the bucket and grab a handful. The more times you are in, the more money goes in your pocket. Every time you make a call, you are looking to make more money."
Unfortunately for Mr Zubillaga, who was intending to motivate his sales staff to sell more cancer drugs, an industry blogger got hold of the newsletter from a whistleblower and published the comments, sparking an online debate about the ethics of drug companies.
Concern was raised after another comment from Mr Zubillaga in the same newsletter appeared to highlight a more serious issue. He allegedly appeared to be suggesting sales staff should counter-promote drugs, which is selling by comparing another company's drug, a practice prohibited in the US.
AstraZeneca sacked Mr Zubillaga just hours after his comments surfaced on the web two weeks ago and said "the direction he gave the team violated the core purpose of the company".
The company said it was investigating claims about sales practices and compliance issues raised by various blogs. One group calling its self the AstraZeneca Group of Seven has been set up for employees "to submit comments anonymously".
"The company takes claims of misconduct very seriously and investigates these in a timely and effective manner," AstraZeneca said. Some investigations had been initiated and concluded while others were ongoing, the company said. "Responding to complaints is a fundamental element of our compliance programme and is consistent with the ethical values that underpin our business."
Some commentators have suggested that Mr Zubillaga was simply telling the truth, although others have taken offence. Peter Rost, a former marketing executive at Pfizer, who first posted the newsletter on his "whistleblower" blog two weeks ago, wrote: "AstraZeneca lacked the internal controls to make sure the truth didn't get out, and now they are trying to show they are holier than thou, by firing the guy who said what everyone knows to be true ... Instead of a reprimand, AstraZeneca created a sacrificial lamb to cover the corporate rear end."
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