California Doctors Group Joins Boycott of GlaxoSmithKline

A Marina Del Ray, Calif., physician group has joined a boycott against drug maker GlaxoSmithKline to protest the company's decision to block sales to Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies that resell GSK medications to U.S. patients, the Los Angeles Times reports (Saillant, Los Angeles Times, 2/27). On Jan. 1, GSK announced a plan to end sales of medications to Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies that continue to market the treatments over the Internet to the United States and other nations after Jan. 21. U.S. consumers can purchase prescription drugs at a lower cost from Canadian Internet and mail-order pharmacies because of Canadian price regulations. In late January, GSK officials revised the plan and asked Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies to self-certify that they do not export the company's treatments (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/21). The seven-physician group said that if GSK does not reverse its policy by March 3, the physicians will stop making pharmaceutical detailing appointments with GSK sales representatives and will recruit other physicians to join their boycott. The physicians also said they will switch patients' medications to non-GSK brands "when they can safely do so," the Times reports. In addition, the doctors have sent a letter informing Chris Viehbacher, GSK's chief executive of U.S. operations, of their boycott. Nancy Pekarek, a spokesperson for the drug maker, said that while physicians have called to complain about the policy, "they generally have not had a problem with it" after she explains the company's position. Pekarek added that GSK's sales figures have so far "not shown a noticeable decline" as a result of the boycotts. Hundreds of senior groups, human rights organizations and Canadian pharmacists on Feb. 27 were expected to hold a demonstration in San Francisco to protest GSK's policy, the Times reports (Los Angeles Times, 2/27).