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news.The US state of Massachusetts has passed a law that requires pharmaceutical and medical device makers to report to the state Department of Public Health any payment or gift of over $50 which they make to healthcare professionals, according to PharmaTimes.
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The law also calls upon the state to develop an industry code of conduct and impose fines of $5,000 for every violation. Also, under the new law, all gifts of over $50 will be publicly reported on the state’s web site.
According to Deval Patrick, governor of the US state of Massachusetts, the new law will set up a new marketing code of conduct that will help ensure health care providers make choices about prescription drugs and medical devices for their patients based on therapeutic benefits and cost-effectiveness.
However, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) contended that the new restrictions may hamper the development of new medicines, as it would deter healthcare professionals in Massachusetts’s many academic health centers from working with pharmaceutical research companies.
The PhRMA also warned the Massachusetts government that the new law may curtail the availability of clinical trials in Massachusetts as the legislation requires the companies to disclose, to their competitors, their products and areas of research.