New Massachusetts Law Prohibits Gifts to Physicians

Massachusetts became the latest in a series of states to enact legislation cracking down on pharmaceutical industry marketing practices when, on August 10, Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law a healthcare cost containment bill. The ambitious bill, which covers areas such as implementing electronic medical records, boosting the number of primary care physicians, and educating prescribers about generics, includes a hotly contested section on gifts, entertainment, meals, and other payments to