Under a new policy expected from Congress within days, drugmakers and medical device manufacturers would have to disclose payments and gifts made to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, according to a STAT news report.
The rule under consideration would significantly expand the sunshine law, which requires certain proceedings to be open or available to the public. The law, in relation to disclosing drugmakers payments, previously only applied to physicians.
The new rule would also apply to clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse-midwives.
If approved, the policy would take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
The renewed attention to disclosing pharma's gifts to nurses comes after AbbVie was sued by the California Department of Insurance for allegedly orchestrating a wide-ranging kickback scheme to illegally boost prescriptions for its best-selling arthritis drug Humira. The lawsuit claims the drugmaker used an elaborate network of nurse ambassadors to ensure prescriptions were continuously refilled.
Access the full report here.