A revised IPHA Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry (Version 8.6), effective on 1st June 2025, is available on our website
IPHA has two Codes of Practice, 1) the IPHA Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and 2) the Self-Care Advertising Code.
1) The IPHA Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry V8.6 effective 01 June 2025
We believe that the relationship between the biopharmaceutical industry, HCPs and HCOs should be based on integrity and transparency and our industry continues to make efforts to improve transparency in our relationships with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and healthcare organisations (HCOs).
Since July 2016, details of companies’ financial interactions with HCPs and HCOs have been published on www.transferofvalue.ie as required by the industry-authored IPHA Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry. We initiated the disclosure of those financial interactions (all direct and indirect Transfers of Value, whether in cash, in-kind or otherwise) to hasten the move towards transparency.
We have achieved 100% named disclosure for HCOs and 96% named disclosure for HCPs (for 2023 data). We are encouraging more of our companies to use legitimate interests as the legal basis for the disclosure of Transfer of Value information to achieve 100% HCP disclosure. This is because where informed consent is the legal basis HCPs must consent to the disclosure of data and without that consent, the data is published in aggregate form but with legitimate Interests as the legal basis the rates of named HCP disclosure could be significantly boosted and it would reduce the administrative burden for both companies and HCPs. Our move to encourage companies to use legitimate interests follows the receipt of the Data Protection Commission’s opinion on the use of Legitimate Interests for ToV Disclosure Aug 2022 which states that it ‘’has not identified anything giving rise to significant concern in relation to the processing of personal data”.
(A) IPHA-Code-of-Practice-for-the-Pharmaceutical-Industry-V8.6_effective 01June2025
(B) IPHA-Code-of-Practice-for-the-Pharmaceutical-Industry-V8.6_Changes-tracked_effective 01June2025
(D) IPHA’s mandatory template for Patient Organisation disclosure_5 Nov 2020
(E) IPHA’s Min Mandatory requirements for Privacy Policies (Leg Interests)_ 5 Nov 2020
(F) Best-Practice-for-ToV-Disclosure_29-Jul-2021
(H) HPRA’s Guide to Advertising Compliance
(I) Methodological note structure’s template
(J) EFPIA Patient Solutions Guidelines – Final 20241219
(K) ABOUT e4ethics – Ethical MedTech EU.
The IPHA guidance titled ‘IPHA statement on banner adverts where there is insufficient space’, dated 28th May 2024, has been superseded by the HPRA’s 28.03.25 Guide to Advertising Compliance.
2) The Self-Care Advertising Code
IPHA Self-Care Advertising Code Version-6.1 effective-01Jul22pg-final
Note that while IPHA and EFPIA do not provide a guidance about Fair Market Value applicable to collaboration with Patient Organisations, patient remuneration principles (EFPIA Working Together with Patients – Principles) are available as a non-binding guidance at workingtogetherwithpatients_patient-remuneration-principles.pdf (efpia.eu)