There is no doubt that there is misguided spending by drug and device companies, particularly in the arena of marketing. It seems clear that many legislatures are bent on limiting the ability of physicians to interact with the medical industry in any sort of normal manner. Not only are governmental agencies seeking to ban gifts, gratuities and perhaps even legitimate consulting and development relationships, they are now seeking to publicize these events and the amounts received in an attempt to publicly cast some sort of shame or implied wrong doing on physicians who have accepted “gifts”. This site seeks real health reform and many of the excesses of the past need to be curtailed and eliminated. However, to consider that a representative of a legitimate medical or device company is guilty of some evil deed by bringing pizza to a physicians office is a bit over the top. Common sense must always rule if we are to have real, meaningful reform. Physicians who are in legitimate research, consulting, and development work with drug and device companies should not be subjected to this type of public disclosure, lest their activities be confused with gratuitous payments by companies to unscrupulous providers. Real Health Reform is needed, along with legislation and common sense reform . . . obi jo
Vermont law targets medical industry payments to physicians, other providers
Cracking down on medical industry payments to doctors, the Vermont legislature has passed a law requiring drug and device makers to publicly disclose all money given to physicians and other healthcare providers, naming names and listing dollar amounts. The law would also ban nearly all industry gifts, including meals, to doctors, nurses, medical staff, pharmacists, health plan administrators, and healthcare facilities. The measure, scheduled to take effect on July 1, is believed to be the most stringent state effort to regulate the marketing of medical products to doctors, closing a loophole in previous regulations that had allowed companies to keep specific expenses private by claiming them as trade secrets.
Vermont Acts to Make Drug Makers’ Gifts Public -http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/20vermont.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%2b%22Food+and+Drug+Administration%22&st=nyt
AS PASSED BY HOUSE AND SENATE – http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2010/bills/Passed/S-048.pdf
CODE ON INTERACTIONS WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS -http://www.phrma.org/code_on_interactions_with_healthcare_professionals/
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