Medic Alert and Highlights from the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) may have hurt the sales of health care promos with their new gift policies (see below for specifics), but that doesn’t mean all bets are off when it comes to health care promotions. Suppliers have gone back to the drawing board and developed some cutting edge promos that are still a great fit — and totally acceptable — for medical professionals.

This is also a great time to expand your way of thinking about the health care market. Sure, you used to be able to count on the large pharmaceutical companies for huge orders of pens, soaps, magnets and more, but there are other options in this realm. Clinics still need to advertise to potential patients and health clubs are always looking for ways to attract new members. Even your local drug store is out there buying promos from someone. It’s up to you to make sure you are that someone.

Highlights from the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals

In interacting with the medical community, we are committed to following the highest ethical standards as well as all legal requirements. We are also concerned that our interactions with health care professionals not be perceived as inappropriate by patients or the public at large.

Providing items for health care professionals’ use that do not advance disease or treatment education — even if they are practice-related items of minimal value (such as pens, note pads, mugs and similar “reminder” items with company or product logos) — may foster misperceptions that company interactions with health care professionals are not based on informing them about medical and scientific issues. Such non-educational items should not be offered to health care professionals or members of their staff, even if they are accompanied by patient or physician educational materials.

It is appropriate for companies, where permitted by law, to offer items designed primarily for the education of patients or health care professionals if the items are not of substantial value ($100 or less) and do not have value to health care professionals outside of his or her professional responsibilities. For example, an anatomical model for use in an examination room is intended for the education of the patients and is therefore appropriate, whereas a DVD or CD player may have independent value to a health care professional outside of his or her professional responsibilities, even if it could also be used to provide education to patients, and therefore is not appropriate.

Items designed primarily for the education of patients or health care professionals should not be offered on more than an occasional basis, even if each individual item is appropriate.

Related Content:

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PhRMA Threatens the Industry

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