Code of Conduct - Question & Answers

5. Convention/Clinic Displays - April 2005

Question 1:
Our company will be participating at a conference for family physicians, "Primary Care Today", and this participation includes a company display booth. We will have representatives at the booth as well as product information. Can we have a dish of candy at the display (Hershey kisses or some other non- product related candy)? I am not sure if this is still acceptable, and would appreciate confirmation.

Response:
As long as any food/beverage is of a nominal value. Certainly a bowl of candies, donuts, ice-cream bars, cappuccino etc are of very nominal value, and this gives pharma reps opportunity to interact with the physicians in a "leisurely" setting.

Question 2:
Please comment if the following is okay for use at our upcoming pharmacy
conference/exhibit:

1) Coloured non-branded balloons

Response:
This is acceptable provided that the balloons are not branded and are not distributed to attendees to the conference/exhibit.

Question 3:
The question has been raised as to the provision of non-CEP items at events under Section 5 of the Code of Conduct. Namely, would it be considered a violation to provide food (namely, beverages and muffins/doughnut, etc.) at these events?

Response:
In general it seems as if a simple/small bowl of candies i.e. peppermints would be fine – no expensive/imported chocolates. Member companies would then have to exercise judgment in the spirit of the code, to prevent this becoming an issue in the future. With regards to food and beverages the answer would be no, as this is something that is usually provided by the organizers, and subsidized by member companies in the costs incurred to display their products.

Question:
Based on the Rx&D Bulletins that have recently been published , we understand that physicians cannot be provided a fee for the rental of a room within their clinic or medical building for the purpose of making education presentations and/or convening meetings. There are situations whereby, a HCPs office is located in a building that holds businesses outside of the medical industry (i.e. building also holds dry-cleaning business, convenience store, etc.) - thereby not making this building a "medical building" by the nature of the businesses which are housed in this unit. If there are meeting rooms within this type of building and a fee is still being requested for its use (although not by HCPs but rather by the building owners), are we allowed to pay a fee for the use of these rooms?

Response:
This would be allowed, provided the recommendations in the original Rx&D Bulletin are met.