Originally posted by: Armitage
Originally posted by: Mwilding
Originally posted by: Armitage
As a prior Air Force officer and current employee of a defense contractor, I would go to jail for the kind of crap that goes on every day between doctors & drug company reps. It's a sleazy business IMHO
And you know this from your extensive time in the air force and defense contracting industry?
:roll:Uhm, yea. 4 years as a COTR (Contracting Officers Technical Representative) managing contracts for the Air Force, and 6 years as a defense contractor.:roll: And my ex & several other aquintences & family in the medical field, so yea, I know a bit about both sides.
As an AF officer, I could not accept a gift worth more then $5 from a contractor. At meetings at contractor facilities, there is always a tip-can where government people were expected (and did) chip in a few $$ for lunch & refreshments etc. If you had to drive to a site, government & contractors are generally expected to ride in seperate vehicles to avoid the appearence of impropriety, etc. I've seen a 3 star shell out $10 for a mug presented to him by the VP of a large company. It's hard core, and I know of people who were disciplined for minor infractions of this sort of thing.
Compare this to drug company reps & dr.s where it isn't unusual for a drug rep to take an entire office out to lunch at pricy resteraunts ... and the doctors to dinner at even more expensive places. My ex used to bring home all kinds of booty around the holidays ... not just the typical pens & stickynotes. Like huge Josh & Johns fruit baskets, theatre & sporting event tickets, etc.. That was just the leftovers. And this is the stuff that goes on above board. Imagine what happens below the table.
HA HA - sweet irony thy name is Armitage
Eh? I don't get it?