Update
The Vermont Senate and House have passed a sweeping new law to close loopholes in the state’s existing gift and payment disclosure law, and to ban many gifts, including food and free meals, by makers of prescription drugs, medical devices and biological products.
The House version of the bill also required disclosure of free samples but the Senate amended it out and directed the Attorney General’s office to complete a study on the issue and report back in December 2009.
A 2002 Vermont law required disclosure of many gifts and payments to prescribers but the new law closes a “trade secret” exemption, which resulted in most data being submitted in aggregate form without identifying the names of prescribers. Read the rest of this entry »