The same local politician who likes to take on big pharma is at it again. David Catania yesterday proposed legislation that would require reps to be licensed, The Examiner reports. “The person who cuts your hair is subject to more government regulation than the person pitching drugs to your doctor,” says Catania, who chairs the DC council health committee.

So he’s introduced the Safe Rx Act of 2007, which he claims will “lead to a safer environment, a more informed environment” for consumers. The bill also tackles off-label use, as s well as gifts to regulators and disclosure of clinical drug trial data. The legislation requires that all new reps hold a license issued by the D.C. Board of Pharmacy, earn at least a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy or science, and follow a new code of ethics for the profession.

There is a grandfather clause for salespeople with at least one year on the job. The average DC doc meets with 28 reps a week, Catania claims, and most are chosen for their looks, not their medical knowledge.

The measure drew the immediate condemnation of the drug lobby. In a statement, PhRMA says comprehensively trained drug reps are carefully monitored through “adequate safeguards” established by the FDA and the US Department of Justice, and follow voluntary guidelines issue by PhRMA.

In addition to the sales rep provisions, the bill also requires that DC docs obtain patient informed consent before prescribing a med off-label. From Celebrex to Lyrica, thousands of drugs were developed for one purpose but found to be helpful for something else, says Peter Lavine, chairman of the Medical Society of D.C. “These are onerous, unnecessary burdens placed on physicians,” he warns, “and it’s going to have a chilling effect on the appropriate off-label use of medication.”