Vermont to Drug Companies, Document Pay to Docs

The Vermont state government is looking to signing requiring drug and device makers to make public all of the money they give to doctors and others in health care. According to the New York Times, each drug and device maker must document the names and amounts given to medical practitioners. Sarah Rubenstein reports that, the state has already been out front when it comes to disclosure of drug-company pay to doctors, publishing an annual report on compensation such as consulting and speaker fees, travel expenses, gifts and food. The law being pushed by Vermont's government not only includes device makers; but it bans all free meals and will require specifics on contributions to individual doctors, the paper says. An exception: Pay for clinical research on products under FDA review does not have to be disclosed.