Why does the Code still refer to promotional aids when product branded items were stopped many years ago?

Clause 18 - Prohibition on Inducements and Inappropriate Payments, the Provision of Items for Patients, Health Professionals and Other Relevant Decision Makers, Agreements to Benefit Patients such as Outcome Agreements and Patient Access Schemes

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.

Supplementary information

Clause 18.1 Health Professionals’ Codes of Conduct
Clause 18.1 Terms of Trade
Clause 18.1 Package Deals
Clause 18.1 Outcome or Risk Sharing Agreements
Clause 18.1 Patient Access Schemes
Clause 18.1 Donations to Charities
Clause 18.1 Payments to Individuals
Clause 18.1 Long term or Permanent Loan
Clause 18.1 Competitions and Quizzes
Clause 18.1 Promotional Aids
Clause 18.1 DVDs
Clause 18.1 Memory Sticks
Clause 18.1 Textbooks

Supplementary information

• Advice
  
• Can a pharmaceutical company put an interactive programme on an exhibition stand that requires an attendee to make a series of judgements and choices regarding a treatment pathway? When would such a programme become a quiz, if it was not one already?
  
• Can a pharmaceutical company sponsor conference lanyards, badges and bags etc by paying the organiser for them and in return getting the company name on the item?
  
• Can anatomical models be given as a medical and educational good (MEG)?What disciplines do the Health Professionals Codes of Conduct cover

18.2 Health professionals may be provided with items which are to be passed on to patients and which are part of a formal patient support programme, the details of which have been appropriately documented and certified in advance as required by Clause 14.3.

The items provided must be inexpensive and directly benefit patient care. They may bear the name of the company providing them. They must not be given out from exhibition stands. They must not be given to administrative staff unless they are to be passed on to a health professional.

 

• Supplementary information
• Clause 18.2 Patient Support Items
• Clause 18.2 Items Given to Patients

        
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.

• Supplementary information
• 18.3 Notebooks, Pens and Pencils