Scientific information, regulation at the start. Twenty euros a year. This is the maximum amount of "free promotional products of negligible value" that medical-scientific representatives can deliver in Puglia to each doctor or pharmacist employed by the SSR, without prejudice to the ban on "granting, offering or promising prizes, pecuniary or in-kind advantages". This is the provision of the regulation on scientific information on drugs definitively adopted by the Regional Council. Moreover, the same regulation admits that in fact the value of these "gadgets" connected to the activity carried out by the doctor or pharmacist is higher than 20 euros. Therefore, the free transfer of this material must take place only in favor of the interested unit, upon notification by the pharmaceutical company to the company management, as the products in question are configured "as a common good for all healthcare professionals, employees and affiliates" of the ASL. For family doctors and pediatricians of free choice, the transfer of this material must take place at the competent health district, "unless otherwise agreed between contracted doctors and the local health authority". Pharmaceutical companies must preliminarily be accredited with the regional councilorship for health policies, providing the necessary information. The informants will be provided with an identification card, issued by the ASL and authenticated by the Region. Each informer may not carry out more than 5 visits per year for each doctor interested in the prescription. There are two free samples of medicines per visit for each dosage or pharmaceutical form, in the 18 months following the first marketing of the product and with a limit of eight samples per year for each dosage and form. For drugs older than 18 months, the free samples cannot be more than 4 per visit with a limit of 10 per year, chosen from the company price list. The free delivery of samples is subject to a written request which must be kept by the pharmaceutical companies for 18 months and exhibited, upon request, to the Region. Any adverse reactions to the drugs must be reported by informants to the scientific service and to the company to which they belong. With regard to conferences, congresses, Ecm etc., pharmaceutical companies will have to communicate to the local health authorities concerned the names of the doctors and pharmacists employed by them or participating in the event, while the health professionals themselves will have to give advance notice to the local health authority on which they work. In terms of control, the establishment of a special regional commission is envisaged, made up of representatives of the professional orders concerned, as well as Farmindustria, the Association of scientific informants and the most representative trade union organisations. Enzo Lorusso Il Sole 24 Ore Sanita' of 09/25/2007 N. 37 – 25 SEPT.-1 OCT. 2007 p. 30
