Can pharmaceutical companies give notepads, pens and pencils to conference organisers for them to put in conference bags?

  • 18.3

    18.3 Health professionals and other relevant decision makers attending company organised scientific meetings and conferences, promotional meetings and the like may be provided with inexpensive notebooks, pens and pencils for use at those meetings. They must not bear the name of any medicine or any information about medicines but may bear the name of the company providing them. If pens and pads are provided in conference bags at third party organised meetings then these must not include the names of the donor companies, the name of any medicine or any information about medicines.

Yes, notebooks, pens and pencils are the only items that can be provided to health professionals and other relevant decision makers for them to keep and then only at bona fide meetings. Such items included in conference bags at third party organised meetings may not bear the name of the donor company nor the name of any medicine or any information about medicines. The total cost of the items provided to an individual recipient must not exceed £6, excluding VAT. The perceived value to the recipient must be similar. Given the spirit of Clause 18.3 companies should ensure that no individual attendee will receive more than one notepad and one pen.

Notebooks, pens and pencils provided at company organised meetings may bear the name of the donor company but not the name of any medicine or any information about medicines.

Guidance
2021 Q&As by Topic OR Clause