Reckitt Benckiser ‘shocked’ by Gaviscon allegations

Reckitt Benckiser has expressed its shock at recent allegations made in recent media reports regarding Gaviscon.

BBC’s Newsnight quoted a former senior executive who claimed that the company had cheated the NHS by blocking the use of generic forms of the drug which could have saved the health service millions of pounds.

The firm said that it had never objected to a monograph-driven generic name being published, while the timetable of such publication has never been its control.

It did however express concern regarding the “inappropriate sentiment” expressed in some of its internal correspondence and announced the launch of an immediate internal investigation.

“The company made appropriate challenges where it felt it was justified in order to ensure patients are prescribed the right treatment,” Reckitt Benckiser reports.

“These were within the law and relevant regulations. We stress that the regulators only take a comment into account when it is valid.”

The firm adds that it has only experienced one case out of 86 sales representatives who has been found to exert pressure on GPs in the NHS, which id described as an unfortunate, one-off incident not endorsed by the company.

In September 2007, Reckitt Benckiser completed the sale of its Hermal prescription skincare business to Laboratorios Almirall.