Forums » Off duty » News & media » Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
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Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 6:35 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 522
First: 6/9/2012 Last: 20/5/2013 |
Hi there,
Matthew suggested I´d discuss this … Honestly I wouldn´t have brought it up, because the German system is so very different from the UK one, so one might think this would be of limited interest to anyone outside Germany – but nevertheless… It is always necessary to discuss corruption. In Germany, corruption has always been against the law in hospitals where doctors are employed, and I don´t think it regularly happens there ( of course, one has to be vigilant. I once met a German doctor who was hired specifically to fight corruption in Poland, and when asked what was done to prevent it in Germany, he really couldn´t list much). However, about half of the approx.. 300.000 German doctors are not employed by anybody but themselves – they take great pride in their “free profession”. Most GPs are independent, and so are most specialists outside hospitals. Recently, a couple of doctors have been accused ( and aquitted ! )of corruption after taking money and expensive gifts from pharmaceutical companies, often in exchange for prescribing their drugs. Justice said it couldn´t be called corruption, because of the “free profession” status, but nevertheless asked for better controls and sanctions by the medical boards ( as Germany is a federal state, we have an abundance of these, with one at the top – this one told “Der Spiegel” magazine that just under 1000 doctors had been suspected of corruption in the last years, and 163 were “ punished” after state prosecutors gave files to the medical board (they didn´t say what the punishment was). On the other hand, medical boards fight hard for general reputations of doctors. Mine has just given out “ I am not a corrupted doctor” ( “Nicht-korrupter Arzt” for men and “Nicht-korrupte Ärztin” for women). I wonder if this spreads, what patients and companies will think of you when you forget to wear your badge… Here´s the article Matthew quoted when he mentioned the topic to me : http://m.thelocal.de/society/20130113-47303.htm#.UPPKYWf2-1U. Do you think corruption is a problem among our noble profession ?? |
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Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 7:32 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2044
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/5/2013 |
http://m.thelocal.de/society/20130113-47303.html Your link appears to have acquired a tail, Carolin - this truncated version works. The NHS has a "Counter F-r-a-u-d" section, a name it that smacks of the Cold War and nasty, underhand goings-on in Oxford colleges and London slums. Their webpage http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk/noflash.html lists six case reports, none of them exactly showing a tendency to major graft but rather pathetic attempts to get a job or steal the petty cash. All thoroughly reprehensible, but minor. The ABPI, the Ass.of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, brought out a new Code of Practice last year, that is positively draconian in its limits on graft and bribery. http://www.abpi.org.uk/our-work/library/guidelines/Pages/code-2012.aspx For example Clause 18 on "gifts, pecuniary advantage and benefits" now forbids the distribution of the many small vade-mecums on various subjects, such as the excellent Abbot booklet on local anaesthesia blocks, except on demand. In other words, the rep may tell you about the book, and if you want one, arrange for one to be sent to you. They may not tell you how marvellous is marvellaine, and give you the Marvellaine Book of Blocks, however good and free of bias that book is. There used to be some pretty lavish junkets available from drug companies. Oh! For the days of the Janssen trip! Three days in Belgium, a visit to the factory that took all of an hour and half then hitting the bars and clubs of Turnhout or Antwerpen, before being poured back into the airport bus home! Gone! Gone, my dears like the snows of yesterday! John |
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Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 7:34 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2044
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/5/2013 |
Matthew, This is going to be a prety short thread if D2D's idiot robot censor objects to the word "f-r-a-u-d". I have to spell it here in this bizarre way, as I did above, to get it off my back. John |
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Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 7:42 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 522
First: 6/9/2012 Last: 20/5/2013 |
In Response to Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???: http://m.thelocal.de/society/20130113-47303.html Your link appears to have acquired a tail, Carolin - this truncated version works. The NHS has a "Counter F-r-a-u-d" section, a name it that smacks of the Cold War and nasty, underhand goings-on in Oxford colleges and London slums. Their webpage http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk/noflash.html lists six case reports, none of them exactly showing a tendency to major graft but rather pathetic attempts to get a job or steal the petty cash. All thoroughly reprehensible, but minor. The ABPI, the Ass.of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, brought out a new Code of Practice last year, that is positively draconian in its limits on graft and bribery. http://www.abpi.org.uk/our-work/library/guidelines/Pages/code-2012.aspx For example Clause 18 on "gifts, pecuniary advantage and benefits" now forbids the distribution of the many small vade-mecums on various subjects, such as the excellent Abbot booklet on local anaesthesia blocks, except on demand. In other words, the rep may tell you about the book, and if you want one, arrange for one to be sent to you. They may not tell you how marvellous is marvellaine, and give you the Marvellaine Book of Blocks, however good and free of bias that book is. There used to be some pretty lavish junkets available from drug companies. Oh! For the days of the Janssen trip! Three days in Belgium, a visit to the factory that took all of an hour and half then hitting the bars and clubs of Turnhout or Antwerpen, before being poured back into the airport bus home! Gone! Gone, my dears like the snows of yesterday! John Posted by John D Thank you John - dear all, please try the corrected version ...!! In fact, trips to the French riviera is one of the things that are discussed here....sadly, no company ever suggested one to me, so I couldn´t test my strength and am only talking theory. Recently, I went to a lecture that had been organised by the local med. board, in one of the best hotels in the country. The GP sitting opposite had brought his wife and grown-up son to dine with us, which struck me as being rather strange. Dinner was excellent, though. |
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Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 7:59 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3045
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 20/5/2013 |
The situation regarding corruption is nearly the same allover the world, at personal as well as at political levels. The preventive measures taken seem to have a little impact. Also, many thanks respected John for correcting the url. |
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Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???
posted at 28/1/2013 8:07 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 959
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
In Response to Re: Widespread corruption of doctors in Germany???: Matthew, This is going to be a prety short thread if D2D's idiot robot censor objects to the word "f-r-a-u-d". I have to spell it here in this bizarre way, as I did above, to get it off my back. John Posted by John D I mentioned this problem spelling that particular word the other day in a thread. It is annoying. |
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