The ABPI Code of Practice is the pharmaceutical industry’s commitment to operate in a professional, ethical, and transparent manner, for the benefit of patients and the public. Pharmaceutical companies’ activities at an event that takes place in the UK will fall within the scope of the ABPI Code.
This course will help you better understand the practical application of the ABPI code when delivering meetings and events. Featuring real-world examples and relevant code cases, this course will help you ensure your meetings comply with the requirements of the ABPI code, satisfying both legal requirements and the needs of delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and compliance teams. Updated ABPI Conference Guidelines will be published shortly and, subject to availability, be covered as part of the course.
The course will be developed and delivered by Jayne Packham, an ABPI expert with more than 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Jayne was awarded the 2024 Pharmaceutical Course Trainer of the Year and is an Honorary Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Information and Pharmacovigilance Association.
If you are unable to attend this iteration of the course and would like to register your interest for future dates, please contact us.
Course outline
- Introductions
- The ABPI Code – what it means for your event in the eyes of a pharma company
- Your obligations as a third party conference organiser under the Code
- What do pharmaceutical companies need to know about the event before they agree to sponsorship?
- The ABPI Conference guidelines – where do they fit with compliance?
- What Pharma can and cannot sponsor
- Funding restrictions and arm’s length arrangements
- Importance of contracts and documentation
- Declaration of sponsorship on event materials, social media and website – what and where?
- Venue selection and hospitality standards
- The ‘reasonable’ venue test in practice
- Food, drink, meals and social programmes – do’s and don’ts
- Food and drink on company exhibition stands
- Managing mixed audiences: HCPs, patients, public and patient organisation
- Who counts as an HCP or ORDM under the Code
- How to deal with medical students, partners, non-HCPs, public and patient organisations
- When mixing is permitted vs prohibited
- Badge design for transparency
- Designing a code-compliant exhibition space
- Physical layout, stand size
- Separating promotional from educational areas and who can access what
- Designing medical booths
- Managing satellite symposia spaces
- Responding to pharma compliance requests
- Documentation an event organiser will need to provide
This event will be CPD accredited and the confirmation will be sent to attendees after the event.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will understand:
- How to effectively implement the demands of the ABPI Code for your events
- How to manage sponsorship and exhibition sales including venue layout
- Appropriate delegate badging
- The type of requests you may receive from pharma compliance teams and how best to handle them
Who will benefit
- Anyone organising or supporting pharmaceutical company events in the UK
- Anyone organising or supporting events in the UK with exhibition or sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies
- Convention bureau employees seeking to develop their understanding in this area
Prices
Please find a list of tickets for this event below.
| Ticket |
Price |
|
ABPCO Member
|
£100.00 |
|
Non Member
|
£200.00 |
Delegate Terms and Conditions
Delegate Terms and Conditions
Cancellation or postponement of event
In the unlikely circumstance that ABPCO has to cancel the event, we will refund the full cost of any pre-paid registration fees.
In the event of a postponement, all tickets will automatically be valid for the new date, or transferable to someone else in the same ticket pricing bracket. Refunds will be available if you are unable to make the new event date.
Cancellation of attendance at an event
Please let us know if you cannot attend an ABPCO event as soon as possible by emailing hello@abpco.org
Where a fee has been charged, you will be reimbursed as follows:
For cancellations on or prior to 10th February 2026, a 50% refund will be given.
For cancellations received later than the 10th February no refund will be given, but name substitutions can be made at any time.
To cancel a booking email hello@abpco.org
Name changes
Tickets are transferable: it will be possible to amend the name on your ticket to a colleague within the same ticket pricing bracket at any time.
To arrange for a name change contact hello@abpco.org
Event sponsor
This event may be sponsored. ABPCO may contact you via email after the event with messaging from our sponsor(s) however ABPCO will not share your details directly with the sponsor(s). To opt out of this messaging, contact hello@abpco.org