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19.1
19.1 Medical and educational goods and services which enhance patient care, or benefit the NHS and maintain patient care, can be provided subject to the provisions of Clause 18.1. They must not be provided to individuals for their personal benefit. Medical and educational goods and services must not bear the name of any medicine but may bear the name of the company providing them.
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19.2
19.2 The provision of medical and educational goods and services in the form of donations, grants and benefits in kind to institutions, organisations or associations that are comprised of health professionals and/or that provide healthcare or conduct research are only allowed if:
- they comply with Clause 19.1 or are made for the purpose of supporting research
- they are documented and kept on record by the company
- they do not constitute an inducement to prescribe, supply, administer, recommend, buy or sell any medicine
- details are publicly disclosed as donations, grants or benefits in kind or as research and development transfers of value.
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15.3
15.3 Representatives must not employ any inducement or subterfuge to gain an interview. No fee should be paid or offered for the grant of an interview.
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18.1
18.1 No gift, pecuniary advantage or benefit may be supplied, offered or promised to members of the health professions or to other relevant decision makers in connection with the promotion of medicines or as an inducement to prescribe, supply, administer, recommend, buy or sell any medicine, subject to the provisions of Clauses 18.2 and 18.3.
The Code allows companies to provide medical and educational goods and services (MEGS) which will enhance patient care or benefit the NHS and maintain patient care Clause 19.1. It may be possible for certain textbooks to be provided in accordance with this clause. To benefit from this, however, the books must not be provided in such a way as to be an inducement to prescribe, supply, administer, recommend or buy any medicine and in this regard it is preferable that they are not delivered by medical representatives.
Representatives must not subsequently use the provision of such books as leverage to gain future access to doctors or other health professionals and such books must not be provided to individuals for their personal benefit.
Companies are reminded that the provision of MEGS must be publicly disclosed Clause 19.2
