India, Dec. 25 -- The pharmaceutical industry is one of the pillars of global healthcare, responsible for creating new medicines and improving treatment standards. Yet a long-running debate surrounds one particular practice within the sector is the practice of pharmaceutical companies offering incentives or "freebies" to doctors to influence prescription patterns.

These incentives can range from conference sponsorships and foreign trips to expensive gifts or payments for promotional speaking. These rewards may look harmless from the outside, but they often raise questions about influence, ethics, and transparency in medical decisions. This article explores why pharma companies offer such benefits, how it may affect prescriptions, and wha...