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As part of its latest reprimand of Pfizer Inc for illegal marketing activities, the government has decided that the drugmaker's general counsel should no longer oversee the company's compliance program.

The size of the U.S. Department of Justice's settlement with Pfizer, announced September 2, was what drew the most attention. The company agreed to pay $2.3 billion to resolve allegations that its executives and sales staff illegally marketed the painkiller Bextra and several other drugs. But the government also insisted that Pfizer's chief compliance officer must now report to the company's CEO instead of its GC. The settlement is the fourth that Pfizer has reached with Justice over illegal marketing since 2002, and the largest such deal in the department's history.

Pfizer general counsel Amy Schulman said in a statement, "We regret certain actions in the past, but are proud of the actions we've taken to strengthen our internal controls and pioneer new procedures." Schulman, who joined Pfizer last year, added, "We will continue to take appropriate actions to further enhance our compliance practices and strengthen public trust in our company." 

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