BY JOHN CURRAN

MONTPELIER -- Calling transparency the best antidote to influence buying, two groups involved in mental health called on the state Wednesday to close a loophole in disclosure laws that allows drug companies to make donations to doctors without publicly identifying the recipients.
The Vermont Psychiatric Association and the Vermont Association for Mental Health want the Legislature to eliminate a "trade secret" exemption that allows the companies to report who's getting gifts, donations and other payments from them but bans the state from releasing some of the information because it's considered proprietary.
The groups said Wednesday that they'll press for a publicly accessible database listing the donations, gifts and payments to doctors, so patients can find out what companies may have given to their doctors.