Vermont Acts to Make Drug Makers’ Gifts Public - names names & lists $$$

[Shallah Kali]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/20vermont.html?_r=1

In practice, the new law would let Vermonters learn each year which doctors have been paid, and how much, by the makers of the brand-name drugs for which they wrote prescriptions — or how much money certain surgeons have received from the makers of the stents, pacemakers, artificial knees and such that the doctors implanted.

snip

But Vermont has gone further with its new law, which Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican, is expected to sign by early next month. It will require public disclosure of all payments by companies to any health care provider with authority to write prescriptions for drugs, medical devices and biologics, drugs that are typically administered by injection or infusion.

The law is also the first to ban all free meals, long a favorite gift in marketing to doctors. The law also closes a loophole in previous regulations that had allowed companies to keep specific expenses private by claiming them as trade secrets.

The required disclosures, though, do not include payments for clinical research on products under review by the Food and Drug Administration.


Here is an org that is trying to get similar legislation going nationally:

National Legislative Association for Prescription Drug Pricing
http://www.reducedrugprices.org/default.asp

[bemildred]

1. Let the sun shine in.

Make all of these weasels do their business in the light of day.

[Wednesdays]

2. K&R

:kick:

[Mopar151]

3. Hard tellin', not knowin'

As they say in Chateguay....

The thing is, in northern New England, everybody knows everybody, and word gets around! If this information becomes public record, it won't be long before some double-dealing docs get found out.