Seven states and the District of Columbia currently have regulations that limit or ban industry gifts to physicians, and it seems as though others are following suit. The California state Senate passed SB 790 in May 2017, a bill restricting pharmaceutical companies from giving gifts and incentives to medical professionals. This article reviews the changes SB 790 calls for, and what compliance professionals should keep an eye on.
The California Senate passed a bill (“SB 790”) in May 2017 that, if enacted, will change how pharmaceutical companies interact with health care professionals (“HCPs”). While standards and requirements for transfers of value are not new to pharmaceutical companies, SB 790 introduces new concepts for California, including:
• new standards for ‘allowable expenditures,’ which includes limitations on sponsorship of conferences or seminars that are educational, policy making, medical, or scientific;