Relationship between Doctors and Pharmaceutical Industry: An Ethical Perspective

Interactions between doctors and pharmaceutical industry were found to start as early as medical school and to continue well into practice [1] . This relationship is even stronger in developing countries such as Nepal, and may lead to adverse outcomes especially for the consumer. Not only do drug companies play a vital role in sponsoring continued professional development (CPD) programmes, they are also at times 'nice enough' to grant personal favors to their 'best prescribers'. This article reviews the salient aspects of the relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical industries and its future consequences.