UPDATE Legal Update
LSMS joins in Amicus Brief The Louisiana State Medical Society joined in support of an amicus brief in the ma Ʃ er of R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company v. FDA . The case involves the marke Ɵ ng and sale of fl avored e-cigare Ʃ es. The issue in the case is whether the Food and Drug Administra Ɵ on (FDA) acted lawfully when it denied marke Ɵ ng approval for electronic nico Ɵ ne delivery systems (ENDS)— colloquially called “electronic cigare Ʃ es” or “e-cigare Ʃ es” featuring non- tobacco fl avors. This case is one of many similar cases in federal circuit courts around the country involving the same legal ques Ɵ on presented by di ff erent ENDS manufacturers. The amicus brief opposes R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company's request for a stay of the FDA's decision to halt further marke Ɵ ng and sale of its ENDS products. The amicus brief provides the court with addi Ɵ onal evidence of the nega Ɵ ve impact of fl avored ENDS products, especially on young people. Click here to read the full amicus brief.
LSMS Submits Comments to FTC Regarding Non- Compete Agreements
The Louisiana State Medical Society (LSMS), represen Ɵ ng over 6,000 physicians, fully supports the proposed rule to ban non-compete clauses. In Louisiana non-compete clauses are currently being used in physician employment contracts with no expira Ɵ on date and with terms that have forced many physicians to leave their pa Ɵ ents, their community and even our State. In other words, because there is no limit on Ɵ me given by a physician to invalidate the clause, a doctor who has been employed for 10, or even 20, years who resigns or is terminated must
leave their home for two years in order to con Ɵ nue the prac Ɵ ce of medicine. They are coerced and expected to make a life Ɵ me career commitment to that corpora Ɵ on. The enforcement of non-compete provisions nega Ɵ vely impacts the pa Ɵ ent-physician rela Ɵ onship by disrup Ɵ ng the con Ɵ nuity of care. The physician-pa Ɵ ent rela Ɵ onship is deeply personal. Pa Ɵ ent care should be priori Ɵ zed above corporate interests. Pa Ɵ ents deserve to have
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