Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Government takes steps to expose financial ties between drug makers and doctors

WASHINGTON D.C. - After more than a year of prodding from the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the federal government took a major step today aimed at exposing potential conflicts of interests between doctors and drug companies.

The long-awaited rule – drawn from the Physician Payments Sunshine Act - was released late Friday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The rule puts in place a system requiring pharmaceutical and medical device makers to disclose payments and gifts given to physicians. Consumers will have access to the information through a database administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Critics have long contended that the drug industry's practice of paying doctors influences medical decisions and leads to over-prescribing medicines and patients receiving unnecessary and expensive drug treatments.

Full Article & Source:
Government takes steps to expose financial ties between drug makers and doctors

4 comments:

Thelma said...

Excellent news!

Check out your doctor's name on the new gov't database.

StandUp said...

Yes, finally!

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness

jerri said...

oh what a surprise? i take 0 meds and whatever my md is handing out i tell him no thanks give it to your wife :-0