Chicago could become one of the few cities in the nation requiring pharmaceutical sales representatives to carry a special license, a measure that Mayor Rahm Emanuel says would help fight opioid addiction.
An ordinance the city expects to introduce next month would require pharmaceutical reps who promote medications to doctors and other health care professionals to track and provide to the city, if requested, the number of health care professionals they’ve contacted, information about drugs promoted, samples provided and whether doctors were compensated for their time. The city also is considering requiring pharmaceutical reps to track which doctors they contact, and potentially supply names to the city upon request.
