The maker of replacement heart valves plans in the second half of 2009 to post on its web site ties with docs who are paid more than $5,000 a year in consulting fees, royalties and honoraria, but will begin targeted tracking of the data on January 1.

The move comes with pending legislation that would require drug and device makers to disclose how much money they give docs, although some drugmakers, such as Merck and Lilly, have already taken steps to do so. Also, several device makers disclosed payments as part of a deal with federal prosecutors last year that resolved allegations of payoffs for consulting deals (take a look).

“Medical innovation is dependent on these physician partnerships, and we believe that bringing transparency to these relationships will help the public better understand the critical role they play in the advancement of medical technology and patient care,” Edwards ceo Mike Mussallem says in a statement.

Mussallem is also chairman of AdvaMed, a trade group for device makers, which last week an updated code of ethics that includes explicit prohibitions against providing entertainment and giving gifts, among other things (see here).