bribes and bad apples

Implications: 1. Do doctors accept bribes? 2. Would a bribe affect a doctors usage of a product 3. Is there a need for a greater crack down on bribes?

Analysis: Certainly the offering of a bribe to influence another person has been around as long as man has walked the earth. From cops and judges on the take, to inspectors who take a bribe to look the other way, bribes will continue to be offered. In the case of doctors the bribe is rarely cash in the hand, but may be more subtle such as an honorarium to speak on a manufacturers product. At one time golf outings and weekends at a resort paid by the pharmaceutical industry were common, however none of that is now permitted. Prosecution of several doctors who accepted large honoraria for little or no work has resulted in a cap on honoraria. While bribes will always be with us, it looks as though bribery of physicians will decrease.
                                            dr spurlock