NEW YORK (AP) - Bermuda-based health care products maker Covidien Ltd. spent $450,000 in the third quarter to lobby on issues affecting drugs and medical devices, according to a recent disclosure report. The company lobbied on a bill that would require drug and medical device manufacturers to disclose gifts given to physicians by their salespeople. The device industry's trade association endorsed the legislation earlier this year after its sponsors agreed to make several revisions, including raising the dollar amount of gifts that companies would have to disclose to $500 from $25.

Covidien also lobbied on government reimbursement rates for medical devices paid for by the Medicare programme. Medicare is the federal health programme for seniors.