Health Care: No Free Golf

Under fire for pushing expensive drugs, salesmen are cutting back on the wining and dining of doctors

The American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation ended up bagging its annual golf tournament this year. The event, which would have been held this month in San Diego, used to draw big bucks from drug companies eager to talk shop with doctor-duffers. One year Pfizer served breakfast, Otsuka America brought lunch, Novartis supplied the golf carts, TAP Pharmaceutical stocked the beverage cart and nine other drugmakers each sponsored a hole or two. But these days no one is willing to give or take so much as a logo-stamped golf ball.

That's because pharmaceutical companies are trying to shake their reputation for...

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