Category Archives: Prescription Drug Reform

In 2008, Massachusetts enacted its a pharmaceutical and medical device gift ban and disclosure law, which limited industry representatives from wining-and-dining physicians in order to encourage the prescribing of their high-cost, brand-name products. The law also established annual reporting requirements … Continue reading →

Assignment: compare and contrast. Earlier this year, Massachusetts officials passed what was dubbed the “gift ban,” regulations that limit the contributions, gratuities, and meals pharmaceutical and medical device firms can give to doctors. At the time, Robert Coughlin, president of … Continue reading →

Today the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses heard testimony on multiple bills, including S. 1849 – archly titled, “An Act Relative to Restaurant Rejuvenation.” The bill would add a restaurant loophole to the state’s Pharmaceutical and Medical … Continue reading →

Three years ago, the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Gift Ban was enacted to protect consumers and reduce health care costs by limiting the marketing practices of pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Each year, approximately $30 billion dollars on these marketing … Continue reading →

This weeks Senate budget debate will include two amendments to allow pharma industry marketing of “coupons” for brand name drugs – amendments 503 by Senator Michael Moore, and 446, sponsored by Senator Tarr and three other Republicans. A similar provision … Continue reading →

Today the Department of Revenue released their April “Blue Book” – the monthly revenue figures for each of the state tax sources. We eagerly looked at the meals tax numbers. And once again, the numbers disproved the completely false claims … Continue reading →

In a strong, cogent editorial last week, the Boston Globe emphasized the value of protecting our state’s restrictions on gifts from the drug and device industry to doctors: A THREE-year-old state law forbidding gifts from drug companies to doctors seems … Continue reading →

Did members of the House of Representatives think no one would notice when they vote to repeal a popular law? The reaction to the House vote to repeal the 2008 law banning most gifts to prescribers from drug and device … Continue reading →