Family members

Legislation: Not applicable.

MA Code of Conduct

Companies should only support the attendance of the HCP who is participating in the event or providing the service to the company.  It would be considered a gift or inducement (which is not permitted) if a company was to provide hospitality, travel or accommodation to spouses, relatives, guests or companions of HCP and non-HCP practice staff when they are accompanying a HCP.

Statutory Laws

No specific rules. Any specifics must be assessed on the case-by-case basis.

INTERFARMA

The payment or reimbursement of any expenses by family members, companions or persons invited by the Healthcare or Healthcare-related Professional is expressly forbidden.

SINDUSFARMA

No specific rules. Any specifics must be assessed on the case-by-case basis.

ABIMIP

No specific rules. Any specifics must be assessed on the case-by-case basis.

Planning and costs of travel, accommodation, meals and refreshments of the spouses / companions or family members are the responsibility of the HCP. 

No support or facilitating travel and  accommodation arrangements of spouses / companions or family members of HCPs. Hospitality may not be extended to spouses / companions or family members of HCPs. 

Learning programs must not be offered to the spouses / companions or family members of HCPs.

Statutory Laws and Regulations

No specific rules.

Codes of Conduct

Code of Ethics for Chinese Medical Doctors

No specific rules.

RDPAC Code

Hospitalities incidental to the main purpose of the events can only be provided exclusively to participants of the events. Member companies should not pay for any costs associated with individuals accompanying invited HCPs (Article 7).

AdvaMed China Code

A Company may not pay for meals, travel or other expenses for guests of HCPs (Article IX).

RTVSS: It has no specific restriction or limitation. Nonetheless, pharmaceuticals financing travel and transportation payments that exceed one (1) minimum monthly wage during a six-month period to the same recipient must be reported. 

The minimum monthly wage for 2020 is: COP $877.803 or approximately USD $260. 

The six-month periods go from January to June, and July until December of each year. 

AFIDRO'S Code of Ethics: Any expense related to family members travelling together with HCPs to the event location might be considered as non-moderate and reasonable since it its not related to the event itself. 

ANDI's Code of Ethics and Transparency: It sets the same standard as AFIDRO’S Code of Ethics.

The Ordinance: pursuant to the Article 19 (3, 4) of the Ordinance, family members on any other persons who accompany the health care workers are not allowed to participate on the conferences and lectures, nor may they be entitled to reimbursement of any costs whatsoever.

The Code: pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to provide any kind of hospitality to persons who are not healthcare professionals, according to Article 11.2 (1) lit.a of the Code.

AIFP

Hospitality may only be extended to persons who qualify as participants in their own right.

In exceptional cases of established health needs and unless prohibited by Czech law, the travel, meals, accommodation and genuine registration fee costs of an accompanying person can be reimbursed within the same parameters.

Directive

No specific rules.

EFPIA

Hospitality may only be extended to persons who qualify as participants in their own right. In exceptional cases of established health needs (e.g. disability or injury), the travel, meals, accommodation and genuine registration fee costs of an accompanying person can be reimbursed within the same parameters.

IFPMA

Companies must not pay any costs associated with individuals accompanying invited HCPs, except in cases of medical necessity.

The Finnish Medicines Act or Degree 

Hospitality at purely professional or scientific events must not be extended to other than health care professionals. 

Code of Ethics issued by Pharma Industry Finland 

In events for the marketing of prescription-only medicines, the hospitality must not be extended to persons other than healthcare professionals.

No hospitality of any kind (accommodation, transports, meals etc.) may be granted to family members. 

StGB

No specific rules. However, the general principles outlined above apply.

HWG

No specific rules. However, the general rules and restrictions on providing financial inducements and other gifts to HCPs may apply.

UWG

No specific rules.

FSA Code of Conduct Healthcare Professionals

Invitation of family members of HCPs to events and / or reimbursement of their travel and accommodation expenses is not permitted.

The reimbursement of any expenses of accompanying members is prohibited.

The Prevention of Bribery Ordinance

No specific rules. 

HKAPI Code of Practice

Hospitality does not include travel or other sponsorship for HCPs’ family or companions (para 5.2(a)). 

Code of Conduct

No specific rules.

Medicines New Zealand Code of Practice

• A pharmaceutical-company must not pay for any hospitality, travel, or other expenses for family, guests or companions (unless they are required for genuine medical reasons).

Royal Australian College of Physicians Guidelines

• In general, it is never acceptable to accept sponsorship for the cost of travel, attendance or meals for family or friends.

Norwegian Pharma Law

No specific rules.

LMI Industry rules

Only persons who are qualified and have the relevant professional interest in the meeting may be invited to participate.

Companions / family members are not allowed, unless significant medical reasons require so. The prohibition on companions / family members applies even if the companion were to cover all expenses themselves.

Polish Pharmaceutical Law

No specific rules.

INFARMA

Hospitality allowed only to HCPs. Only in exceptional cases related to health reasons (e.g. disability or injury), the costs of travel, meals, accommodation and registration fees related to the participation of the accompanying person in the event may be covered on the same terms.

PZPPF

Hospitality allowed only to HCPs.

Hospitality may only be extended to persons who qualify as participants in their own right. In exceptional cases of established health needs (e.g. disability or injury), the travel, meals, accommodation and genuine registration fee costs of an accompanying person can be reimbursed within the same parameters.

Act on medical products

No specific rules. 

AIFP Code of Conduct

No specific rules. 

ADL Code of Ethics

No specific rules. 

GENAS Code of Ethics

The guests, partners, family members or friends of invited healthcare professionals who are not members of the otherwise invited healthcare professional community may not be invited to meetings, conferences and other educational activities.

Medicinal Products Act

Any advertising in the area of professional public (including but not limited to partaking in promotional events) shall be intended and transmitted only to persons authorized to prescribe or dispense medicinal products and potentially other HCPs providing health care. 

Rules on advertising of medicines

Promotional events shall be organized only for persons responsible for prescribing and dispensing medicinal product 

The Code

Costs of the promoting event shall be covered only to event participants and not also to accompanying persons.

The payment of travel expenses and the like for persons accompanying the delegate is not permitted. 

Any hospitality provided must not extend to a spouse or other such person unless that person is a HCP or other relevant decision maker and qualifies as a proper delegate or participant at the meeting in their own right. Spouses and other accompanying persons, unless qualified as above, may not attend the actual meeting and may not receive any associated hospitality at the company's expense. The entire costs which their presence involves are the responsibility of those they accompany.

Federal Law & Implementing Regulations, & Government-Issued Guidance: The laws and regulations do not specifically address this topic but given the HHS-OIG Guidance’s cross reference to the PhRMA Code, the PhRMA Code’s view should be considered (i.e., inappropriate to cover expenses for non-participating spouses or guests). 

State Laws & Implementing Regulations: Some state law restricting payments and gifts to HCPs also specifically mention family members. For example, New Jersey’s prohibitions on gifts and payments to prescribers also apply to the prescriber’s immediate family, and Massachusetts prohibits meals provided to HCP spouses or other guests. Some states more generally incorporate PhRMA Code and/or AdvaMed Code standards by reference. 

Industry Codes of Conduct: The PhRMA Code states it is not appropriate for companies to pay for travel and lodging for non-faculty HCPs (e.g., it would not be appropriate to pay for the cost of an HCP’s spouse). The AdvaMed Code also states that companies may not pay for or otherwise subsidize travel or lodging for spouses or guests of HCPs.