Symposia, congresses and the like are indispensable for the dissemination of knowledge and experience. Scientific objectives should be the principal focus in arranging such meetings and entertainment and other hospitality shall not be inconsistent with such objectives.

When a pharmaceutical company or association sponsors a symposium, congress or other medical/health care or educational programme:

• the fact of sponsorship by the company or association should be clearly stated in advance, at the meeting and in any proceedings. Printed, audio-visual or computer-based material arising from such meetings should accurately reflect the presentations and discussions;
• entertainment or other hospitality and any gifts offered to members of the medical and allied professions should be secondary to the main purpose of the meeting and should be kept to a modest level;
• any support to individual health practitioners to participate should not be conditional upon any obligation to promote any medicinal product;
• if the programme is accredited for postgraduate medical education by a medical or other professional organisation, responsibility for the programme content remains with the organisation responsible for obtaining accreditation for the meeting, and industry support should be disclosed;
• payments of reasonable honoraria and reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, for speakers/presenters are customary and proper;
• companies should not pay travel costs of persons accompanying invited members of the medical and allied professions.

Promotional material which appears on exhibition stands or is distributed to participants at international congresses or symposia may refer to products which are not registered in the country where the event takes place, or which are registered under different conditions, provided that the following are observed:

• The meeting must be a truly international, scientific event with a significant proportion of the speakers and attendees from countries other than that where the event takes place;
• Promotional material for products not registered in the country of the event must include a suitable statement indicating the registration status of the product;
• Promotional material which refers to the prescribing information (indications, warnings etc.,) authorised in a country or countries other than that in which the event takes place, must include an explanatory statement indicating that registration conditions differ internationally.

Unless permitted under local regulations, promotional material for products which are not registered anywhere at the time of the Congress or Symposium, may not be displayed or distributed to participants. Scientific papers on such products may, however, be provided, in accordance with Section I.6 of the Code.