15. Service-Oriented Items

Reasonable service-oriented items are defined as items whose primary goal is to enhance the Health Care Professional understanding of a condition or its treatment or Stakeholders to better perform their professional activities. Items intended for distribution to patients via a Health Care Professional must be useful as aids to patients’ understanding of, or adaptation to, their condition(s) or for encouraging adherence with recommended therapy. Such items may bear the corporate name and logo of the Member Company, but must not bear the name of any product.1

Members may distribute acceptable service-oriented items to Stakeholders.

Members must not offer to any Stakeholder, or to any member of a Stakeholder’s clinical/administrative staff and/or family, any gift – in cash or in kind, or any promotional aid, prize, reward, or any other item as an incentive or reward for prescribing, administering, recommending, purchasing, paying for, reimbursing, authorizing, approving or supplying any product or service sold or provided by the Member, or to obtain any other improper advantage for the Member.

Members must ensure that the distribution of service-oriented items is not carried out for product promotional purposes. Members should also use good judgment by choosing modes of advertising that will uphold this general principle.

The following are some examples (but not limited to) of service-oriented items that if provided in connection with a Patient Program or they are intended to aid the patient’s understanding of, or adaptation to, their condition(s) or for encouraging adherence with a recommended therapy would be considered acceptable service-oriented items within the Code:2

• Patient agendas, Patient calendars;
• Patient diaries, fridge magnets, kit folders.

The following are some examples (but not limited to) of service-oriented items that if provided to Stakeholders would be considered acceptable service-oriented items within the Code:

• Textbooks of reasonable value;
• Websites, applications, screening program content;
• Educational tools and poster, anatomical models.
  

The following are some examples (but not limited to) of service-oriented items that if provided to Stakeholders (outside of the exceptions outlined in 15.2.1 and 15.2.2) would be considered to be in contravention of the Code:3

• Agendas, pocket diaries, bookmarks, calendars desk clocks;
• Subscriptions to publications;
• Diaries, fridge magnets, kit folders;
• Mouse pads, note pads, Post-it notes, script pads;
• Office supplies, such as paperweights, pens & penholders, plastic portfolios;
• Stress/rehabilitation balls, back supports, stirrup covers and similar so-called patient aids;
• Stationery items, such as patient appointment cards containing patient information;
• Product-bearing advertising;
• Tote bags and bags with a corporate logo (single sponsorship)

Each part of a multi-component service-oriented vehicle must comply with Sections 15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.2.3 and 15.2.4.