Ban on gifts to doctors sought in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray has proposed a total ban on all gifts and freebies to doctors from pharmaceutical companies. If approved, the move would make Massachusetts the first state in the country to ban such gifts outright. The measure is part of a set of healthcare reform measures Murray filed in a bill that also includes requiring all doctors statewide to adopt electronic medical records by 2015, allowing patients to choose nurse practitioners as primary care providers, and forcing public reviews of any insurance company efforts to boost annual premiums by more than 7 percent.