Bill would make drug firms disclose gifts to doctors
May 22nd, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
Washington — Gifts to physicians such as free lunches from drug and medical device reps soon could be listed on a national database so patients can evaluate whether money might be affecting their doctors’ prescribing.
The bipartisan Physician Payments Sunshine Act, introduced Sept. 6 in the Senate, would require drug and medical device manufacturers with $100 million or more in annual gross revenues to disclose names and office addresses of every doctor who gets a gift valued at more than $25. Drug samples and funding for clinical trials would be exempt. Failure to comply would trigger fines of up to $100,000 per violation.