The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed new guidelines for the interpretation of federal statutes on gifts, incentives, and other benefits bestowed on physicians by pharmaceutical companies. The areas on which the interpretation focused follow:

● Paying doctors to act as consultants or market researchers for prescription drugs

● Paying pharmacies fees to switch patients to new drugs

● Providing grants, scholarships, and anything more than nominal gifts to physicians for time, information sessions, and so on, on new drugs35 The Office of Inspector General is handling the new rules interpretation and has established a public comment period of 60 days. Explain the purpose of the public comment period. What ethical issues do the regulations attempt to address?

35 See 67 Federal Register 62057, October 3, 2002. Go to www.oig.hhs.gov. See also Robert Pear, “U.S. Warning to Drug Makers Over Payments,” New York Times, October 1, 2002, A1, A23; Julie Appleby, “Feds Warn Drugmakers:

Gifts to Doctors May Be Illegal,” USA Today, October 2, 2002, 1A.

124 Part 1 The Legal and Social Environment of Business LO1