VT may toughen pharma regulations; Study says tight privacy laws slow EMR adoption;

> Vermont already requires drugmakers to list payments made to physicians, by dollar amounts. Now, lawmakers are looking to close a loophole that allows pharmas to keep some payments private by classing them as "trade secrets." FiercePharma [1]

> This article must be something of a flash point for privacy advocates. The study contends that if we want to see facilities roll out EMRs, we'd better make sure privacy laws don't get too strict. FierceHealthIT [2]

> The first quarter of this year was a big one for pharma M&A, with deals amounting to more than 50 percent over all of 2008's deals. FiercePharma [3]

> This scientist has big plans for personalized drug therapy research, hoping to establish a $245 million research institute in northern Virginia which would bring 500 scientists to the task. FierceBioResearcher [4]

And Finally... Now this, sir, is a veritable prince of pups. Article [5]