D.C. sales reps

Executive Summary

The Council of the District of Columbia votes 7-6 Jan. 8 to pass a law requiring that pharmaceutical sales representatives be licensed and held to a professional code of conduct, and to create an academic detailing program to counter the information provided by drug companies. Struck from the original bill, titled the "SafeRx Act of 2007," is a provision that would prohibit commercial use of prescribing information without physicians' prior consent (1"The Pink Sheet" Dec. 17, 2007, p. 19). Despite significant revisions to the original bill, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said in a statement that "it is still legislation looking for a reason to exist," arguing that existing federal laws and guidelines already regulate information provided by sales reps to doctors and other health care providers...