(This op-ed appeared in Wednesday's Boston Herald.) 

On the last day of July, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Act to Promote Cost Containment, Transparency and Efficiency in the Delivery of Quality Health Care. It’s both a mouthful and a mess. If Gov. Deval Patrick doesn’t veto the bill by Aug. 13, the law will put a needless chill on clinical research and pharmaceutical innovation in the commonwealth.

Among other provisions, the bill would require public disclosure when payments of $50 or more are made between pharmaceutical research firms and health-care providers. The information from these transactions - which includes physicians’ names - would be posted on the Internet.

Read the rest...