IV. Supporting Third-Party Educational Conferences

Bona fide
independent, educational, scientific, or policymaking conferences promote scientific knowledge, medical advancement and the delivery of effective health care. These typically include conferences sponsored by national, regional, or specialty medical associations and conferences sponsored by accredited continuing medical education providers. Companies may support these conferences in various ways:

1. Conference Grants. Companies may provide a grant to the conference sponsor to reduce conference costs.  They may also provide grants to a training institution or the conference sponsor to allow attendance by medical students, residents, fellows, and others who are Health Care Professionals in training. Companies may provide grants when: (1) the gathering is primarily dedicated to promoting objective scientific and educational activities and discourse; and (2) the training institution or the conference sponsor selects the attending Health Care Professionals who are in training. Such grants should be paid only to organizations with a genuine educational function and may be used only to reimburse the legitimate expenses for bona fide educational activities. Such grants also should be consistent with applicable standards established by the conference sponsor and any body accrediting the educational activity. The conference sponsor should independently control and be responsible for the selection of program content, faculty, educational methods, and materials.
2. Conference Meals and Refreshments. Companies may provide funding to the conference sponsor to support the provision of meals and refreshments to conference attendees. Also,  Companies themselves may provide meals and refreshments for Health Care Professional attendees if such meals and refreshments are provided: (1) to all Health Care Professional attendees (with the limited exception noted below), and (2) in a manner that is consistent with applicable standards established by the conference sponsor and the body accrediting the educational activity.  Meals and refreshments may be provided to fewer than all Health care Professional attendees if the Company providing such meals and refreshments satisfies all other principles related to meals set forth in Section VIII.  Any meals and refreshments should be modest in value, subordinate in time and focus to the purpose of the conference, and clearly separate from the continuing medical education portion of the conference.
3. Faculty Expenses. Companies may make grants to conference sponsors for reasonable honoraria, travel, lodging, and meals for Health Care Professionals who are bona fide conference faculty members.
4. Advertisements and Demonstration. Companies may purchase advertisements and lease booth space for Company displays at conferences.

Frequently Asked Questions

• May a Company designate attendees or faculty who will speak at a third-party educational conferences?
• May a Company provide an educational grant to support the attendance of a Health Care Professional at a third-party educational conference?
• If a Company provides a grant for a medical student to attend an educational conference, may the funds be used to cover both travel expenses and registration fees?
• May a Company sponsor an off-site sales, promotional, or other business meeting that is ancillary to a third-party educational conference?

May a Company designate attendees or faculty who will speak at a third-party educational conference?

No. The Code contemplates that an independent third party will select faculty and attendees. The Code does not preclude a Company from recommending a knowledgeable faculty member, where the recommendation is permitted by the conference sponsor’s guidelines. The ultimate selection should be made by the conference sponsor.

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May a Company provide an educational grant to support the attendance of a Health Care Professional at a third-party educational conference?

The Code contemplates that grants would be made to the conference sponsor or training institution, which will select the attendees. Furthermore, the Code contemplates that the benefited attendees would be medical students, residents, fellows, or other Health Care Professionals in training.

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If a Company provides a grant for a medical student to attend an educational conference, may the funds be used to cover both travel expenses and registration fees?

Yes, provided that the grant is given directly to a training institution or a third party educational conference sponsor.

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May a Company sponsor an off-site sales, promotional, or other business meeting that is ancillary to a third-party educational conference?

Yes, provided that the sales and promotional meeting or other activity has a legitimate business purpose and meets all applicable requirements of the Code.  The Company also should comply with applicable conference sponsor guidelines.

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