Free Drug Kickbacks
Merck's Free Stock Bottle Give-Aways
One of Mr. Steinke's and Nevada's allegations was that Merck gave away large quantities of free drugs as incentives or kickbacks to physicians and hospitals.
The Nevada complaint provides examples of Merck's give-aways and their monetary value.
| DATE | HOSPITAL / HMO and CITY | ST | DRUG | # TABLETS | VALUE (IN $) |
| 01/05/01 | Palos Community. Hospital, Orland Park | IL | Zocor® | 3,600 | 13,896.00 |
| 08/04/99 | Advocate Health, Frankfort | IL | Vioxx® | 2,880 | 5,932.80 |
| 10/20/00 | University of Chicago Hospital, Chicago | IL | Vioxx | 2,160 | 5,319.00 |
| 01/05/98 | BCBS, Chicopee | MA | Zocor | 12,600 | 44,226.00 |
| 04/25/01 | Bay Medical. Center, Bay City | MI | Zocor | 2,160 | 10,260.00 |
| 02/24/98 | Cooper University. Medical Center, Camden | NJ | Zocor | 1,800 | 6,318.00 |
| 01/07/99 | University. of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque | NM | Zocor | 3,600 | 13,230.00 |
| 08/27/99 | Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh | PA | Vioxx | 2,520 | 5,191.20 |
| 10/13/00 | LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City | UT | Zocor | 1,440 | 5,328.00 |
Free stock bottles of Merck drugs were not complimentary samples given to physicians to test a new drug, or to tide over patients until their prescriptions were filled. First, the quantities were too large. Second, the Merck drugs had been on the market for years and already had been used by many of these institutions. No evaluation of the drugs reasonably would be needed, or even possible.
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