title: [Practical application of the charter of pharmaceutical sales visit].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visits from pharmaceutical representatives are controlled in France by regulations, but also by a Charter of good practice. The goal of this study was to measure compliance to the conditions of this charter by participating pharmaceutical companies.
  
  
  METHODS
  An assessment grid was drafted to determine compliance to interdictions and obligations concerning the information provided during visits from pharmaceutical representatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 20 visits from pharmaceutical representatives. All of the documents and obligatory information were only provided in 5% of cases. During 80% of these meetings, the pharmaceutical representatives made a comparison with competitor's drugs, which was associated with negative remarks in 44% of cases. The pharmaceutical representatives promoted cases of use outside those, which had received marketing approval in 35%. Gifts or samples were offered at the end of these meetings in 20% of cases. Prohibited practices were observed in a total of 85% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that meetings are respected by pharmaceutical representatives in terms of regulations related to donations. In opposite, there is a very low compliance concerning the proper use of the drug, whether to provide official documentation, to give information respectful of other pharmaceutical companies or to promote the proper use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that, at present hospital visits by pharmaceutical representatives do not respect the commitments made by the pharmaceutical industry, and do not make it possible to ensure that honest information is provided to favor the proper use of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Service pharmaceutique, hôpital Antoine-Charial, groupement hospitalier de gériatrie, hospices civils de Lyon, 40, avenue de la Table-de-Pierre, 69340 Francheville, France. bertrand.leroy@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uhart
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lajoinie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maire
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ducher
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourguignon
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D004282:Documentation; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D004465:Economic Competition; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007885:Legislation, Pharmacy; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics; D056687:Off-Label Use