Drug company marketing makes the news
After reading "The Neurontin Legacy -- Marketing through Misinformation and Manipulation" in the January 8, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, one may conclude that (1) America's prisons would be put to better use incarcerating drug company executives instead of pot smokers, and (2) society may need a return of public scorn via the pillory for those doctors who are essentially drug-company shills.
This is one thing that a lot of light needs to be shed on. Recent moves by some doctors to swear off marketing money and gifts is a good step, but marketing of medicine and drug company behavior in general needs tighter regulation.
The article says a bit about Neurontin, it's marketing and the lawsuits it spawned. In this case, the company ended up paying a large fine. But it is the more general principle that is important here. Warner-Lambert got nailed for getting caught on some more excessive manipulation, but the small scale stuff goes on continuously.
Jay