Upjohn had paid pharmacists to induce patients to switch from one diabetes drug to another.

Such measurements include how often patients must be readmitted to the hospital and the frequency with which patients switch doctors.

When one's medical practice is failing, when patients are switching to other doctors, desperate measures are called for.

Sometimes when a patient switches drugs there are unaccustomed effects.

Certainly, some patients have switched hospitals after reading the agency's reports.

But others pointed out that the company will benefit when some patients switch to Pfizer medications.

As a result, pharmacy profits skyrocket when patients switch to generics.

Instead of visiting the orthodontist to have braces adjusted, patients would simply switch to the next retainer in the series every two weeks.

A patient could strap the battery-operated device around an arm and switch it on for a few seconds.