Senators want pharmaceutical gifts and payments to
doctors disclosed
______________________________
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) — U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley
(Republican-Iowa) and Herb Kohl (Democrat, Wisconsin) are
introducing legislation to require manufacturers of
pharmaceutical drugs, devices and biologics to disclose the
amount of money they give to doctors through payments, gifts,
honoraria, travel and other means.
“Right now the
public has no
way to know
whether a
doctor’s been
given money that
might affect
prescribing
habits,”
Grassley
said. “This bill
is about letting
the sun shine in
so that the
public can
know. Whether
it’s dinner at a
restaurant or
tens of
thousands of
dollars or more
in fees and
travel, patients
shouldn’t be in
the dark about
whether their
doctors are
getting money
from drug and
device makers.”
“At our June
hearing, the
pharmaceutical
industry told
the Aging
Committee that
they believe
their practices
are
above-board. If
that is the
case, full
disclosure will
only serve to
prove them
right. If that
is not the case,
full disclosure
will bring their
influence-peddling
out from the
shadows. Either
way, patients
win,” Kohl said.
Democratic Sens.
Claire McCaskill
of Missouri,
Chuck Schumer
of New York,
Amy Klobuchar
of Minnesota and
Ted Kennedy of
Massachusetts
are original
co-sponsors of
the
Grassley-Kohl
bill introduced
today.
“By requiring
drug companies
and medical
device
manufacturers to
report on their
gifts to doctors
we are
empowering
patients to talk
with their
doctors about
the drugs they
are prescribed
and to learn
more about the
influence of the
pharmaceutical
industry on the
practice of
medicine. I
believe that by
bringing light
to these
relationships
this legislation
will go far in
reducing big
drug companies
influence on the
business of
medicine,”
McCaskill said.
“This bill will
shine a much
needed ray of
sunlight on a
situation that
contributes to
the exorbitant
cost of health
care. Patients
have the right
to know if drug
and device
makers are
attempting to
influence
physician
prescribing
decisions with
gifts,
consultations
and travel,”
Schumer said.
“This is common
sense
legislation that
helps ensure the
integrity of our
health care
system,” said
Klobuchar. “It’s
important to
shed light on
the millions of
dollars these
companies spend
on marketing –
money that could
be put into
research or
lowering the
cost of
prescriptions.”
The newly
proposed federal
legislation
builds on
similar
initiatives in
Minnesota,
Vermont, Maine
and West
Virginia. The
Physician
Payments
Sunshine Act
would apply to
manufacturers
with $100
million or more
in annual gross
revenues.
Penalties for
not reporting
payments would
range from
$10,000 to
$100,000