Having cultivated Michael Johnson, the Bengals weren?t about to let him go.
The Bengals are going to hang onto the fifth-year defensive end by use of the franchise tag, guaranteeing him at least a one-year, $11.175 million deal if they don?t reach a long-term contract.
But that?s still the goal, according to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.
?Obviously we are committed to re-signing Mike,? Lewis said in comments distributed by the team, ?and this move is part of the process to keep a young and promising defense together.
?Mike has worked hard to improve himself every year during his time as a Bengal, helping us to the postseason three of four years. We have every reason to believe he will continue to grow as a leader and productive player.?
The former third-round pick blossomed last year, with 11.5 sacks and growing as a run defender.
?This guy has come up in our system, he plays about 85 percent of our snaps, and he?s the kind of guy we love to have around,? defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. ?He?s hard-working and a great team player. He?s an outstanding run defender in addition to his pass rush production. He?s got great length and size, and great speed off the edge.?
And that combination of factors would have made him highly sought after, which led the Bengals to tag him at the risk of losing right tackle Andre Smith.
United Pet Group, Inc. is recalling 4 products for birds due to potential salmonella contamination. ?Affected products were distributed to the US and Canada between Oct 2012 and Feb 2013.
For a refund, call 1-800-645- 5145, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30AM ? 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time.
Product/Size
UPC
Item #
Use-By Dates
Ultra Blend Gourmet Food for?Parakeets (80oz bag)
?26851 ?00904
?A904 / 056- 0904-01
?07/20/15 & ?10/20/15
?Cotrition Grains & Greens, Nutritional Supplement for Parakeets (8oz bag)
?Cotrition Grains & Greens, Nutritional Supplement for Cockatiels (6.5oz bag)
?26851 ?00512
?B512 / 11-20711
?12/05/1
Hy-Vee, Inc. is recalling 2 types of dog food because of elevated levels of Aflatoxin. ?Affected products were distributed to?Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin between October 26, 2012 and January 11, 2013.
Return product to stores for a refund.
Product/Size
UPC
Lot #
Best-By Date
Hy-Vee Complete Dog ? Complete Nutrition (Green Bag) ? 4.4-lb.
07545005665
29812KC
11/24/13 &?11/25/13
?Hy-Vee Complete Dog ? Complete Nutrition (Green Bag) ? 8-lb
?07545005667
?29812KC
?11/24/13
?Hy-Vee Complete Dog ? Complete Nutrition (Green Bag) ? 34-lb.
Honest Kitchen is recalling 3 products due to Salmonella contamination from human grade parsley. ?Affected products were sold?in the US and Canada through stores, mail order, & online after August 2012. ?Honest Kitchen is handling their recall better than most companies?they also announced new safeguards to protect pets.
To supplement its quality control processes while maintaining its commitment to gentle processing that protects natural nutrients, The Honest Kitchen is enacting additional procedures:
All dehydrated leafy greens will be steamed, to further protect against the possibility of?Salmonellaand other pathogens;
All leafy greens will receive a second test for pathogens after arrival at the Company?s manufacturing facility, in addition to the testing conducted internally by suppliers;
The Company has discontinued its relationship with the supplier who provided the parsley used in the production of the lots being recalled.
Consumers can receive a replacement or full refund of the MSRP of the affected products plus $1 to cover postage, by mailing the UPC and lot code along with a completed?Reimbursement Form?to The Honest Kitchen, 145 14th Street, San Diego, Calif. 92101, Attn: Reimbursements. All refunds will be processed within five business days (plus postage time).
Product/Size
Item Code
Lot #
Production Date
Expiration Date
Verve (4lb. box & 10lb. box)
?V4 + VR
?2332A (batches 1-3)
?8/20/12
?8/20/13
Verve (10lb. box)
?VR
?3062A (batches 8 & 9)
?11/1/12
?11/1/13
Thrive?(10z. sample)
?TM
?2622A (batch 3)
?9/18/12
?9/18/13
Zeal?(4lb. box & 10lb. box)
?Z4 + ZR
?2272A (batches 1?5)
?8/14/12
?8/14/13
Zeal?(10lb. box)
?ZR
?2652A (batches 1?4)
?9/21/12
?9/21/13
?
Nature?s Variety is recalling 1 product due to pieces of clear plastic in the product that can be a choking hazard. ?The problem has been found and resolved.
Consumers who have purchased one of the above products can obtain a full refund or exchange by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer. ?Consumers with additional questions can call the Nature?s Variety Consumer Relations team at 1.888.519.7387 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. Or,?click here to email them directly.
Product/Size
UPC
Best-By Date
Instinct Raw Organic Chicken medallions, 3 lb bag
7 69949 60137 1
10/04/13
Instinct Raw Organic Chicken medallions, 27 lb case
7 69949 70137 8
10/04/13
Instinct Raw Organic Chicken patties, 6 lb bag
7 69949 60127 2
10/04/13
Instinct Raw Organic Chicken patties, 36 lb case
7 69949 70127 9
10/04/13
?
Nutri-Vet, LLC. is recalling 9 products due to Salmonella contamination. ?The affected products were?distributed in the US through online sales & retail stores from April 2012 through February 2013 with Best By Dates ranging from April 20, 2014, through October 3, 2014.
Stop feeding these to your pets and return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Nutri-Vet at 1-877-729-8668 Monday thru Friday from 7am to 5pm MDT.
Product
Size
UPC
Item #
NutriPet Natural Chicken Fillet Strips
(10oz)
76-0081 (No bar code)
76-0081
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Joint Health
(5oz)
669125507049
50704
(15oz)
669125507056
50705
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Glossy Coat
(5oz)
669125507063
50706
(15oz)
669125507070
50707
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Stress and Anxiety
(5oz)
669125507087
50708
(15oz)
669125507094
50709
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Fresh Breath
(5oz)
669125507100
50710
(15oz)
669125507117
50711
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for SENIOR Dogs
(5oz)
669125507124
50712
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Healthy Digestion
(5oz)
669125507148
50714
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats for Healthy Weight
(5oz)
669125507162
50716
Nutri-Vet K9 Natural Chicken Breast Treats
(5oz)
669125507018
50701
(8oz)
669125507025
50702
(16oz)
669125507032
50703
Nutri-Vet K9 Hip & Joint Chicken Breast Strips
(8oz)
669125990445
99044
?
Kaytee Products many treats due to Salmonella contamination. ?Affected?products were distributed in Canada, China, Guam, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Pakistan, Puerto Rico,?Singapore, the UAE, &?the US to:
?Arizona
?Illinois
?New Jersey
?Tennessee
?Arkansas
?Iowa
?New York
?Texas
?California
?Michigan
?North Carolina
?Vermont
?Florida
?Minnesota
?Oklahoma
?Virginia
?Georgia
?Missouri
?Ohio
?Washington
?Idaho
?Montana
?Pennsylvania
For more information, call?1-800-Kaytee 1 (800 529-8331) or visit the?Kaytee website.
Kasel Associated Industries is recalling a huge number of products due to Salmonella contamination?everything?manufactured at its Denver, Colorado facility from April 20, 2012 to September 19, 2012. ?They manufacture?Boots & Barkley, BIXBI, Nature?s Deli, Colorado Naturals, Petco, and Best Bully Stick.
Consumers who have purchased any listed products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Kasel Associated Industries at (800) 218-4417 Monday thru Friday from 7am to 5pm MDT.
1 Year Best By Date
UPC
Product
Lot/Best By Date
647263800215
Nature?s Deli Chicken Jerky 3lbs
04202013 DEN-10032013 DEN
647263800208
Nature?s Deli Chicken Jerky 2.5lbs
04202013 DEN-10032013 DEN
?
2 Year Best By Date
UPC
?Product
Lot/Best By Date
085239043165
Boots&Barkley American Beef Bully Stick 12?
20APR2014 DEN-03OCT2014 DEN
085239403495
Boots&Barkley American Smoked Beef Femur Bone 3?
20APR2014 DEN-03OCT2014 DEN
085239043103
Boots&Barkley American Flossie 6-8?
20APR2014 DEN-03OCT2014 DEN
085239403440
Boots&Barkley American Pig Ear Strips 8oz
20APR2014 DEN-03OCT2014 DEN
085239043202
Boots&Barkley American Chicken Stuffed Beef Femur Bone 6?
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Groupon Inc fired Andrew Mason as chief executive officer on Thursday, ousting a co-founder who captured headlines with his quirky style but failed to reverse a crumbling share price or stop a gradual erosion of its main daily deals business.
The leader in Internet daily deals launched a search for a new leader to turn the company around, the same day its stock slid 24 percent after a dismal quarterly results report.
In an unusually candid post-firing letter, Mason -- known for his atypical sense of humor -- confessed he was getting in the way of the company he co-founded just a few years ago, and had failed in his role as leader.
"After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding - I was fired today. If you're wondering why... you haven't been paying attention," Mason wrote in a memo addressed to the People of Groupon and made available to Reuters.
"From controversial metrics in our S1 to our material weakness to two quarters of missing our own expectations and a stock price that's hovering around one quarter of our listing price, the events of the last year and a half speak for themselves. As CEO, I am accountable."
The company said in a statement that Mason was asked to step down.
Co-founder Eric Lefkofsky and board member Ted Leonsis will lead the company in the interim, until a permanent CEO is found.
The company plans to hire a recruiting firm for the CEO search, a spokesman said.
The Groupon board met on Thursday and decided to replace Mason. No Groupon board members will be considered as CEO candidates, according to a person familiar with the board's deliberations.
Newly hired chief operating officer Kal Raman -- brought onboard to turn around the international operations -- is a possible candidate. However, the company is likely to favor an outside candidate who has e-commerce and global experience, said the person, who is familiar with Groupon's strategic thinking.
Groupon declined to comment on CEO candidates.
"We all know our operational and financial performance has eroded the confidence of many of our supporters, both inside and outside of the company. Now our task at hand is to win back their support," according to a letter from Lefkofsky and Leonsis.
GROUPON'S HEYDAY
Groupon, once hailed on magazine covers as the fastest-growing startup in history, rose to prominence in 2010 as the desire for daily deals -- sharply discounted online coupons for everything from neighborhood car washes to spa treatments -- peaked.
The company, which Mason once joked he founded to get then-partner Lefkofsky "off his back", in late 2011 joined a number of consumer Internet startups to go public at multibillion dollar valuations.
But shortly after, demand for daily deals began to evaporate. Groupon's costly international expansion, particularly into economically troubled Europe, began to erode growth and margins. And Wall Street quickly soured on the company, wiping out a lot of its market value.
"Groupon is a very large, very complex multifaceted global business. It's got ambitions in a lot of different areas and categories," said Macquarie Research analyst Tom White. "They are either going to have to find somebody who is a proven executer in handling complex businesses, or maybe this is a signal they are going to simplify."
The company's stock closed 24 percent lower on Thursday after the daily deals company posted a surprise quarterly loss on Wednesday, partly because it took a smaller cut of revenue from merchants offering holiday season discounts.
"The next person who comes in will have tough road ahead. The new CEO will have to be somebody with a strong stomach," said Dan Niles, chief investment officer at AlphaOne Capital.
"It's a lot like J.C. Penney. Changing the CEO is not going to change the fundamental tough aspects of the business. J.C. Penney stock did great when they replaced the CEO, and look what has happened since then."
Groupon shares rose as much as 8 percent in after-hours trade, from a close of $4.53 on the Nasdaq. However, later in the evening session the stock was up 4.2 percent at $4.72.
It has lost three quarters of its value since its November 2011 initial public offering at $20.
(Additional reporting By Liana Baker and Jennifer Saba in New York and Alexei Oreskovic and Poornima Gupta in San Francisco, writing by Edwin Chan; Editing by Gary Hill and Carol Bishopric)
Youth activists gathered in front of the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo to dance the Harlem Shake in protest of Egypt's ruling party. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
By Charlene Gubash, Producer, NBC News
CAIRO -- It is the latest Internet phenomenon that has the world laughing, but in Egypt the Harlem Shake has caught the imagination of revolutionaries who are using it as a new way to challenge the country's new Islamist rulers.
"It?s a funny way to protest how [the Muslim Brotherhood] have taken control of the country,? said law student Tarek Badr, 22, who was one of more than 100 thrusting their hips in front of the political movement?s Cairo headquarters on Thursday. "People won?t be silent. They will protest in all ways and this is a peaceful way."
One of his fellow white-clad protesters wore a Mickey Mouse head mask.
The unusual protest captured the attention of Egypt?s protest-weary press corps -- who almost outnumbered the gyrating protesters -? as well as a dozen stern-faced members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The movement's figurehead Mohammed Morsi was named president in June after the country's first democratic election in decades.
Organizer Noor al Mahalaawi, a 22-year-old engineering student, and three friends started a group that they have dubbed the "Satiric Revolutionary Struggle".
Charlene Gubash / NBC News
A protester wearing a Mickey Mouse mask dances the Harlem Shake in Cairo on Thursday.
The group intends to stage innovative weekly protests in front of the party headquarters, which will be posted on its increasingly popular Facebook page.
"People are very supportive,? Mahalaawi said. ?It?s a change from violence to sarcasm and it?s peaceful. There has been enough blood, enough arrests, enough trials.?
He said the message to the party was that many Egyptians ?do not like their way of rule? with human-rights violations every day."
After their Harlem Shake ended, participants took up the new revolutionary chant: ?"The people want the fall of the ?Murshid? [the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood]."
An impromptu conga line snaked through crowd shouting, "Leave, leave, leave.?
One onlooker, wearing red velvet devil horns, cheered them on. "The Muslim Brotherhood are the friends of the devil," explained Iman Abdul Munim, a women?s rights activist.
A handful of the Muslim Brotherhood's supporters somberly kept guard. They ushered journalists and onlookers off the thin strip of grass in front of the gated building.
"It?s not allowed to stand here," said Wala?a Mohamed Omar, a 35-year-old telecom employee, who heard about the event and came to protect party headquarters. "I have not been paid to do this, I came for the sake of God."
Move over, PSY and Carly Rae Jepsen: There's a new video craze that has exploded online. The Harlem Shake involves massive dance parties breaking out to a catchy beat seemingly out of nowhere. TODAY's Matt Lauer reports, and the TODAY anchors and staff show off their Shake skills.
He was visibly unamused by the Harlem Shake antics, but conceded: ?Everybody is free to express themselves as they wish. We are all Egyptians and don?t differ. We respect our opinion and theirs. That is what the two-year revolution was all about.?
But in Egypt, the rise of Islamists to power has changed the fabric of society, now sharply split between fundamentalists, who favor the implementation of Islamic law, and moderates who want secular government.
Many young Egyptians feel their freedom is under siege and the Harlem Shake protest is one small way to reclaim it. "It is all about freedom of expression," insisted Mohamed Mostafa, a 19-year-old law student. "We are free people and we will do what we want."
Despite the end of the military state, Egypt?s police were accused in January of a?return to Mubarak-era abuses after a video showed riot police?stripping and beating a middle-aged man.
And a series of missteps by Morsi -- including a bid to grab sweeping powers even before the dust had settled on the country?s constitution ??has brought protesters back onto the streets.
On Tuesday, a coalition of leftist and liberal parties known as the National Salvation Front announced it would boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, claiming Morsi is driving through an Islamist agenda and breaking a promise to govern on behalf of all Egyptians.
Anis Mili / Reuters
Students from Tunis Carthage Private University dance the Harlem Shake on Wednesday in Tunisia.
The Harlem Shake protest idea has also taken on elsewhere. In Tunisia, the Harlem Shake dance became a rallying cry for high school and university students after the Minister of Education Abdellatif Abid threatened? to expel Tunisian high school students at a high school where it was performed and to sack complicit staff.
Tunisian Salafists - Islamic extremists - clashed with students on Wednesday as they tried to film the dance at a university.
Related:
Egypt's liberals ponder return to military rule
Meet Omar, the face of Egypt's 'unfinished revolution'
Egyptians fear decades of Muslim Brotherhood rule, warn Morsi is no friend of US
This story was originally published on Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:56 AM EST
Home > Webmaster resources > The 5 Hottest New Website Auction Markets: Where and How Online Business Owners Can Profit
They don?t call it the World Wide Web for nothing. But how many small online business owners are taking advantage of markets beyond the English- or Spanish-speaking worlds?
You don?t need to be multi-lingual ? or a multi-national ? to tap into the markets slowly emerging from behind sometimes extremely restrictive Internet censorship laws. At Flippa, we?ve seen the changing of these laws, and growing web penetration in these countries, bring droves of new site sellers and buyers into the market.
What this means is that those of us with Web properties have more opportunities than ever to profit from new markets.
Which markets matter?
Among the countries that currently censor the Web?are China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Thailand. But as censorship laws have changed in many of these places, we?ve seen website auction and sale activity ? and interest in it ? rise.
Over the last three years, we?ve seen nearly 480 websites sold out of Pakistan, for example.
But in other countries, site purchases have far outstripped sales. Coupled with rising traffic levels, this data suggests people in these countries are looking for established websites for sale as a means to make money beyond their local economies.
Let?s see where the key opportunities lie for buying and selling websites in these markets. The countries listed here are presented in order of traffic levels to Flippa between 2009 and 2012.
Country
% new visitors
Site sales #
Site Purchases #
Site sales $
Site purchases $
China
68.51
73
126
44,225
166,045
Pakistan
34.92
479
97
552,982
219,543
Thailand
39.87
190
277
480,229
209,642
Vietnam
63.83
49
73
44,225
166,045
Saudi Arabia
40.13
17
110
10,785
32,815
If you thought these emerging markets wouldn?t have the spare cash to buy a website or two, think again. Our data shows that not only are many of these countries buying more websites than they sell on Flippa, but the average purchase value for most of these nations outstrips the average sale value. In short, customers from these countries are spending more, on average, to buy a website than they?re getting in a sale. To some degree, that may reflect the nature of the sites being bought and sold, but either way, it bodes well for the market as a whole.
Potential growth markets What about the other countries on the list? We haven?t handled any sales or purchases from Iran, Oman, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Ethiopia or Turkmenistan as yet. But we?re seeing significant increases in traffic from new users within these countries. Some 92 percent of traffic from Myanmar in the last three years has comprised new users; 59 percent of Iranian visitors are new; and traffic from Sudan and Yemen includes new users at rates of 85 percent and 80 percent, respectively. It seems the relaxation of censorship has allowed interested users in these markets greater access to our site as well as others. And as any good online business person knows, today?s first-time visitors are tomorrow?s customers.
Buying ? or selling? We all know these countries represent massive markets for web businesses. The advantage for those of us online is that we have the potential to benefit from these opportunities without the costs that offline businesses face.
Buying a website in an emerging market can be a quick, cost-effective way to grow even a modest brand among a targeted audience?especially if the site you buy is well-suited to your capabilities and unique point of difference.
And for those with websites for sale, these countries significantly expand buyer competition. Apart from Saudi Arabia, all the countries listed in the table above have average purchase values far above the Flippa median sale price.
If you?re looking to buy or sell a website?or take your business to a new overseas market?we?d love to hear your plans in the comments.
Dave Slutzkin is the CEO of Flippa.com. Launched in 2009, Flippa is the No. 1 marketplace for buying and selling websites. Each month, more than $ 2 million in websites and domains are traded on Flippa. More than 29,000 sites, valued at more than $ 22 million, were sold on Flippa in 2012 alone. The most notable of these included Mark Zuckerberg?s Facemash.com as well as iPhone application Taptivate.com, news site Inquisitr.com, and Pinterest analytics site PinReach.com.
Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources
The 5 Hottest New Website Auction Markets: Where and How Online Business Owners Can Profit
Pharmaceutical companies: An $84 million marketing effort in the District of ColumbiaPublic release date: 1-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kathy Fackelmann kfackelmann@gwu.edu 202-994-8354 George Washington University
12 doctors received more than $100k in 2011, according to new report
Washington, D.C.Drug companies spent nearly $84 million marketing pharmaceuticals in the District of Columbia in 2011, including an outlay of nearly $19 million for gifts given to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, according to a report by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). The report notes that 12 physicians in the District received gifts (including consulting payments) that totaled more than $100,000 apiece that one year alone.
"There is nothing inherently wrong with such gifts," said Susan F. Wood, PhD, lead researcher and an associate professor of health policy and of environmental and occupational health at SPHHS. "However, this report draws attention to the amount being spent on marketing drugs and raises questions about whether some heavily marketed drugs may be prescribed more extensively than is appropriate."
The report fulfills the requirement of a 2004 law in the District of Columbia that requires all pharmaceutical companies to file annual reports describing their prescription-drug marketing activities in the District. The AccessRx Act also requires analysis of these reports to determine how pharmaceutical marketing may affect healthcare services in the District.
In fact, a previous study by Wood and her colleagues showed that drug companies making antipsychotic drugs gave a disproportionate amount of gifts and payments to District psychiatrists who treat Medicaid patients. Close ties between the drug companies and psychiatrists might have led to inappropriate prescribing for Medicaid patients, and particularly for children, according to D.C. Council Member David Catania, who held a hearing on the issue last November.
"Antipsychotics are often prescribed to children who are not in fact psychotic but have behavioral problems," said Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, a co-author on both reports and an associate professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. "These powerful drugs also act as sedatives and might lead to less disruptive behavior, but at what cost?" Antipsychotics are also associated with health problems including obesity and Type II diabetes, she said.
The current report doesn't single out specific drugs or name any doctors or other providers but it does give an overview of the money that drug companies spent on marketing their products in the District. The report notes that drug companies spent a total of $83.7 million for advertising, gifts and aggregate expenses in 2011slightly less than 2010. Still, the report found that a small number of companies23 out of 158reported marketing expenditures of more than $1 million apiece. "That is an astonishing amount of money being spent on marketing prescription drugs in the District," said Wood.
The report also found that 22 percent of total marketing expenditures, or $18.9 million, went to "gifts"a category that included grants, speaker's fees and food. Drug companies may treat a select group of doctors to dinner and a sales pitch at a local restaurant, as well as provide delivered meals to medical practices, Wood said.
Hospitals, clinics and other organizations received gifts totaling $9.7 million, and individuals received $9.2 million. Some nurses and pharmacists received gifts in 2011 but most of the pharmaceutical company largesse, nearly 82 percent went to doctors. Most gifts to doctors were described by the drug companies as speaking fees and were paid in the form of cash or checks, the report said.
Other findings of the report include:
Out of nearly 3,400 physicians in the District who received at least one food gift, 444 received ten or more meals from pharmaceutical companies during 2011 and 33 physicians got 52 or more of these food gifts. This finding suggests some physicians are dining with drug reps on a weekly basis.
The top ten professional organizations (representing health professionals in a specific specialty or demographic group) received a total of $3.5 million, with half of those gifts valued at $20,000 or more.
The top ten Disease-Specific Organizations based in the District received $2.1 million in gifts such as cash or checks from drug companies. These organizations often represent and advise patients, and the concern is that large gifts could sway such groups to favor or recommend the company's products, the report said.
The report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH) in the District of Columbia, notes that under the Affordable Care Act pharmaceutical companies will begin publicly reporting gifts to physicians and teaching hospitals in September 2014. At that time, the authors say that the District could publically release the names of all gift recipients, a step that would allow patients to have information about the financial relationship between drug companies and all of their health care providers.
###
About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:
Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Pharmaceutical companies: An $84 million marketing effort in the District of ColumbiaPublic release date: 1-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kathy Fackelmann kfackelmann@gwu.edu 202-994-8354 George Washington University
12 doctors received more than $100k in 2011, according to new report
Washington, D.C.Drug companies spent nearly $84 million marketing pharmaceuticals in the District of Columbia in 2011, including an outlay of nearly $19 million for gifts given to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, according to a report by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). The report notes that 12 physicians in the District received gifts (including consulting payments) that totaled more than $100,000 apiece that one year alone.
"There is nothing inherently wrong with such gifts," said Susan F. Wood, PhD, lead researcher and an associate professor of health policy and of environmental and occupational health at SPHHS. "However, this report draws attention to the amount being spent on marketing drugs and raises questions about whether some heavily marketed drugs may be prescribed more extensively than is appropriate."
The report fulfills the requirement of a 2004 law in the District of Columbia that requires all pharmaceutical companies to file annual reports describing their prescription-drug marketing activities in the District. The AccessRx Act also requires analysis of these reports to determine how pharmaceutical marketing may affect healthcare services in the District.
In fact, a previous study by Wood and her colleagues showed that drug companies making antipsychotic drugs gave a disproportionate amount of gifts and payments to District psychiatrists who treat Medicaid patients. Close ties between the drug companies and psychiatrists might have led to inappropriate prescribing for Medicaid patients, and particularly for children, according to D.C. Council Member David Catania, who held a hearing on the issue last November.
"Antipsychotics are often prescribed to children who are not in fact psychotic but have behavioral problems," said Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, a co-author on both reports and an associate professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. "These powerful drugs also act as sedatives and might lead to less disruptive behavior, but at what cost?" Antipsychotics are also associated with health problems including obesity and Type II diabetes, she said.
The current report doesn't single out specific drugs or name any doctors or other providers but it does give an overview of the money that drug companies spent on marketing their products in the District. The report notes that drug companies spent a total of $83.7 million for advertising, gifts and aggregate expenses in 2011slightly less than 2010. Still, the report found that a small number of companies23 out of 158reported marketing expenditures of more than $1 million apiece. "That is an astonishing amount of money being spent on marketing prescription drugs in the District," said Wood.
The report also found that 22 percent of total marketing expenditures, or $18.9 million, went to "gifts"a category that included grants, speaker's fees and food. Drug companies may treat a select group of doctors to dinner and a sales pitch at a local restaurant, as well as provide delivered meals to medical practices, Wood said.
Hospitals, clinics and other organizations received gifts totaling $9.7 million, and individuals received $9.2 million. Some nurses and pharmacists received gifts in 2011 but most of the pharmaceutical company largesse, nearly 82 percent went to doctors. Most gifts to doctors were described by the drug companies as speaking fees and were paid in the form of cash or checks, the report said.
Other findings of the report include:
Out of nearly 3,400 physicians in the District who received at least one food gift, 444 received ten or more meals from pharmaceutical companies during 2011 and 33 physicians got 52 or more of these food gifts. This finding suggests some physicians are dining with drug reps on a weekly basis.
The top ten professional organizations (representing health professionals in a specific specialty or demographic group) received a total of $3.5 million, with half of those gifts valued at $20,000 or more.
The top ten Disease-Specific Organizations based in the District received $2.1 million in gifts such as cash or checks from drug companies. These organizations often represent and advise patients, and the concern is that large gifts could sway such groups to favor or recommend the company's products, the report said.
The report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH) in the District of Columbia, notes that under the Affordable Care Act pharmaceutical companies will begin publicly reporting gifts to physicians and teaching hospitals in September 2014. At that time, the authors say that the District could publically release the names of all gift recipients, a step that would allow patients to have information about the financial relationship between drug companies and all of their health care providers.
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About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:
Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/
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Reuters
United Pet Group, Inc. is recalling 4 products for birds due to potential salmonella contamination. ?Affected products were distributed to the US and Canada between Oct 2012 and Feb 2013.
Hy-Vee, Inc. is recalling 2 types of dog food because of elevated levels of Aflatoxin. ?Affected products were distributed to?Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin between October 26, 2012 and January 11, 2013.
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Public release date: 1-Mar-2013
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