Meeting planners in pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as in associations, medical education and marketing communication companies and other suppliers that interface with these two industries, have new standards they must abide by when planning meetings, conferences and continuing medical education programs.
Stricter PhRMA codes went into effect Jan. 1, 2009, and revised AdvaMed codes will begin July 1, 2009. Although both industries have an existing code of ethics, these new guidelines significantly alter the interaction allowed between pharmaceutical and medical device companies with physicians, nurses, clinical staff and hospital management staff.
While both industries tightened the restrictions regarding entertainment, recreation and meals, the wording is not clear in both codes.
“A huge problem with the new PhRMA codes [and the new AdvaMed codes] is that the wording is very vague and difficult to interpret,” says Lindsay Slater, conference director for Boston-based Exl Pharma.
That’s the reason Exl Pharma decided to offer a conference titled “Marketing and Salesforce Effectiveness Under the Revised PhRMA Code.” This two-day conference in March provided attendees with alternative strategies to develop new ways of reaching physicians, such as via digital media.
Entertainment such as sporting events, golf tournaments and theater tickets has long been a common practice used by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to interact with physicians and other health care professionals. Both of the new codes prohibit these types of activities, even if the event is secondary to an educational conference or meeting.
“Our annual golf tournament is tied to our foundation,” says Dana De Ponzi-Haas, director of meetings for the American College of Phlebology in San Leandro, Calif. “Our golf tournament happens the day before our continuing medical education (CME) events begin. We’re not sure how we’ll handle sponsorship of our golf tournament. Sponsors already donate to our foundation, which then distributes funds to the Annual Meeting. We’re just not sure how they’ll recognize the sponsors since companies can’t be specifically attached to a meal function or the tote bags.”
The new restrictions are causing pharmaceutical companies to rethink or eliminate sponsoring any CME programs.
“We won’t be offering any CME support in 2009,” says Kathie Ward, manager, meetings and events for Novato, Calif.-based BioMarin Pharmaceutical.
There are some exceptions regarding the sponsorship of meals. The new PhRMA code states that a company can sponsor a meal or reception “at third-party conferences or professional meetings at which CME activities comprise only a part of the conference or meeting…if it is clearly separate from the CME portions of the program.”
Two of the biggest changes are the elimination of lavish lunch or dinner meetings to promote a new product, and offering giveaway items as gifts or at trade show booths. Meals can occur in connection with informational presentations as long as they happen occasionally and are considered “modest.”
This will effectively eliminate the dinner meeting format that many companies have used to inform physicians about new products.
“We pay a premium to be at scientific meetings. Because these societies don’t tend to draw enough traffic to their show floor, it made it necessary for us to do off-site dinners,” says Jessica Anderson, events and trade show manager for Elan Pharmaceuticals. “[The new code] takes some pressure off of us because it’s no longer about looking for the most high-end venue to host an event. It may take some of the fun out of the planning process, but it makes you really focus on the purpose of the program.”
The pharmaceutical manufacturers Slater spoke with see the elimination of meals and entertainment having a positive influence on the industry. This will put smaller manufacturers on a level playing field with the large ones.
Both codes specifically restrict any branding of non-educational or practice-related items such as pens, pads and mugs.
Sponsorship at conferences and meetings will now occur in a more indirect manner. Manufacturers can provide financial support to the conference’s sponsor, who in turn will determine where to apply the sponsorship funds.
For more information about the new standards, visit www.advamed.org/MemberPortal/About/code and click on the comparison chart about the new AdvaMed and PhRMA codes changes.
