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 were to provide hospitality, travel or accommodation to spouses, relatives, guests or companions (including non-HCP practice staff) of a HCP, or to a HCP not participating in the event.

Statutory Laws

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

INTERFARMA

The payment or reimbursement of any expenses related to family members, companions or persons invited by the professionals is expressly prohibited.

SINDUSFARMA

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

ACESSA

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

The planning and costs of travel, accommodation, meals and refreshments of the spouses/companions or family members of HCPs are the responsibility of the HCPs.

Hospitality may not be extended to spouses/companions or family members of HCPs. No support or facilitating travel and accommodation arrangements of 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 2023 is: COP1,160,000 or approximately USD245.

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

AFIDRO'S Code of Ethics: The invitation to an event may not be extended to persons other than the beneficiaries for whom the medical-scientific or professional content of the meeting is relevant to the development of their practice or profession.

The companies will not be able to cover any expenses for accompanying persons, even when the spouse or companion of the HCP guest is himself/herself an HCP, but there are no legitimate reasons of suitability for him/her to also be invited to the event in question.

Therefore, any expense related to family members travelling together with HCPs to the event location might be considered as non-moderate and unreasonable since it is not related to the event itself.

ANDI's Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry Code of Ethics and Transparency: It sets the same standard as AFIDRO’S Code of Ethics, however, it allows that the invitation may be extended to other persons in addition to the beneficiary when it comes of indispensable accompanying persons, as in the case of persons with disabilities.

ANDI's Chamber of Medical Devices and Health Supplies Code of Ethics: It is not permitted to pay for meals, refreshments, travel or lodging for guests of HCP or any other person who does not have a genuine professional interest in the information to be shared at the meeting, including spouses, family members or friends of the HCP. The Companies should ensure that invitations to events are not interpreted as extending to those not invited. 

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: hospitality can be provided only to healthcare professional, member of a healthcare organization and the patient organization representative being participant in event. 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 criteria, according to Article 11 lit. a of the Code.

The hospitality may not be extended to persons other than HCPs. Therefore, the payment of accommodation and travel expenses for family members or any other persons accompanying HCPs is prohibited.

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.

The hospitality provided in various events must be limited to the persons who personally meet the criteria of event participants, with the exception of the necessary assistants required by the person’s state of health.

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.

During traveling, it is also prohibited for patients and for their family members to offer or promise gifts or any form of pecuniary advantages to persons qualified to prescribe or supply medicines, unless they are inexpensive and relevant to the healthcare practice.

PBO: No specific rules.

HKAPI Code of Practice:

Hospitality not include any travel or other sponsorship for HCP’s family members or companions. (para 5.2(a))

Code of Conduct: No specific rules.

Medicines New Zealand Code of Practice

A company must not subsidise or pay for any additional travel or for any accompanying persons (unless required for bona fide medical reasons).

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.

ABPI Code

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

Any hospitality provided must not extend to an accompanying person unless that person qualifies as a proper delegate or participant at the meeting in their own right. In exceptional cases of established clear health needs of the delegate (e.g., disability or injury), similar hospitality may be provided for an accompanying person.

Bribery Act

Best practice in connection with anti-bribery procedures has developed such that it is typically considered inappropriate to pay for family members to travel to/stay at an event location and it is not recommended. 

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.