Thanks for your post and for your time on the phone this week. As we talked about, and to let other readers know, the bill as it stands today will require people to track every gift – from the very first dollar – in order to know when they reach the $100 mark and have to start reporting. This will make it nearly impossible to hand out items at trade shows or anywhere else they might be giving something to a doctor.

While we are happy that the sponsors of this bill recognize the effectiveness of promotional products, we hope that they will look deeper at the ramifications of the bill and recognize the jobs lost – as well as the unfair targeting of a specific industry that employs hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Dale

From the code: Prohibits distribution of non-educational items (such as pens, mugs and other “reminder” objects typically adorned with a company or product logo) to healthcare providers and their staff. The Code acknowledges that such items, even though of minimal value, “may foster misperceptions that company interactions with healthcare professionals are not based on informing them about medical and scientific issues.”

http://www.phrma.org/news_room/press_releases/phrma_code_reinforces_commitment_to_responsible_interactions_with_healthcare_professionals/

The Sunshine Act will shed light on gifts that have nothing to do with getting doctors good, scientific evidence about drugs and devices; It will not deter legitimate and important research and consulting relationships. The industry itself has said so itself: Pens and mugs should be off the table.