Drug Companies Under New Rules

Drug companies will have to report every bagel they bring to a doctor's office under new rules coming from the Obama administration. The New York Times reports the administration wants to head off medical conflicts of interest. Some research purports to show that when doctors receive lecture fees or entertainment from drug companies, they are more likely to prescribe the companies' products. Reporting will apply to any company with a drug used by Medicare or Medicaid. It will cover entertainment, speaker fees and royalties. All of the information will be posted to a federal web site.