Exclusive: Abbott suspends giving gifts to doctors in India

A representative for Abbott rides his bike to a doctor's clinic in PuneNEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Abbott Laboratories Inc has instructed its sales representatives in India not to give gifts to doctors, who are prohibited by local law from accepting them, a practice that has been used as a bargaining chip by companies wanting a piece of the country's burgeoning healthcare market. According to an internal email dated October 11 from Sudarshan Jain, managing director of Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, the gift-giving has been temporarily suspended. …