Lilly and Merck to disclose physician payments
Executive Summary
Shortly after Lilly's Sept. 24 announcement of plans to launch an online registry of payments to doctors for speaking and consulting services, Merck says it will do the same. Both firms plan to launch their registries in 2009. The firms' announcements precede passage of the Physician Payment's Sunshine Act, legislation introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Herb Kohl, D-Wis., which would mandate such disclosure. Industry's early support could help shape the legislation; PhRMA also supports a version of the legislation modified to include that requirements for the national database pre-empt state or local gift reporting requirements (1"The Pink Sheet" DAILY, May 22, 2008)