N.Y. bill requires doc gift disclosure

ALBANY, N.Y., June 7 (UPI) -- AARP and U.S. doctor and consumer groups Thursday backed a New York state bill that would require drug firms to report gifts to doctors worth more than $75.

"AARP welcomes the support of national leaders who are attempting to change the way prescription drugs are prescribed in our healthcare system," said Lois Aronstein, AARP New York state director. "We must make prescription drugs more affordable and bring transparency to how drugs are prescribed in our state."

The groups said pharmaceutical companies spend more than $7 billion a year on gifts, including "meals, trips, and entertainment" to their doctor customers "to persuade them to prescribe newer and, in many cases, more expensive drugs when generic and less expensive alternatives are just as effective."

The bill is being sponsored by state Sen. George Maziarz and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried.