New York Governor David Paterson is hoping to add tighter restrictions on medical device and pharmaceutical industry sales representatives' relationships with physicians to his proposed 2010-2011 budget, according to a report in the Massachusetts Medical Devices Journal.
If passed, New York will join states such as Massachusetts and Vermont in restricting these relationships. The restrictions, while not as steep as some other states, include the following:
- New rules regulating meals provided by sales reps to physicians. In particular, sales representatives may provide lunch to a physician's office if it is brought specifically for a meeting. Sales representatives will not be allowed to take a physician out to eat or provide meals to family and friends of physicians.
- New rules eliminating any gifts such as sporting event or theater tickets, as well as "floral arrangements, artwork, compact discs" or other gifts.
- New regulations limiting consulting services and speaking engagement payments to physicians at conferences and continuing medical education events, to ensure that physicians are only being reimbursed for "bona fide" services.
Investment by physicians in medical device or pharmaceutical companies and providing free or discounted samples to patients are not prohibited, according to the report.
Violators of the new regulations face an increased penalty of $250,000 per violation and $10,000 per physician caught in violation, according to the report.
Read Mass Device's report on New York's proposed industry gift restrictions
.