senate passes bill restricting gifts from pharma companies to doctors

SENATE PASSES BILL RESTRICTING GIFTS FROM PHARMA COMPANIES TO DOCTORS

[5/19/17] Today Senator McGuire’s legislation that restricts pharmaceutical companies from giving gifts and incentives to medical professionals was approved in the Senate.

The legislation, SB 790, severely restricts pharmaceutical companies from providing flights, travel, speaking fees, entertainment, consulting payments, or other financial benefits to health care providers.

“I’ll be the first to say that the vast majority of physicians and medical professionals put the needs of their patients first. There’s a reason why doctors answer the call to practice medicine – to help people in their time of need,” Senator McGuire said. “But growing evidence reveals that financial relationships between some physicians and pharmaceutical companies confirm what has been suspected – financial incentives change minds.”

Doctors who receive industry gifts such as meals, travel, speaking fees and royalties were two to three times likely to prescribe costly name-brand drugs than equivalent generic drugs that were lower priced, according to a recent study by University of California, San Francisco.

Senator McGuire explains the importance of the bill in protecting both patients and tax payers while also lowering the costs of prescription drugs.

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