In one of her final acts as NJ Attorney General, Anne Milgram’s office has issued a new report, “Physician Compensation Arrangements,” recommending limitations to physician-industry relationships for state agencies that go above and beyond guidelines outlined by PhRMA and other organizations.
Although this proposal comes from the office of the outgoing Attorney General, and would be an unlikely top priority for the Christie Administration, many of the recommendations could be implemented in New Jersey without legislation. Recommendations that could soon be implemented include:
- Banning all food, entertainment, etc, paid for by industry, going above and beyond the PhRMA guidelines
- Requirement that doctors report financial compensation of $200 or more from the pharmaceutical industry over the past 2 years
- Require 25% of physician CME be obtained from evidence-based educational programs or academic detailing (government-controlled CME)
- Directive that the NJ legislature limit commercial use of prescriber data, similar to requirements enacted in New Hampshire and other states