OGYÉI guidelines on promotional activity after ban lifted on visits to Hungarian hospitals

As the epidemiological situation improves in Hungary, the ban on visits to hospitals was lifted on 21 May 2021, but strict rules remain in place to ensure increased protection of patients and staff and restrictions also apply to persons carrying out medical-pharmaceutical promotional activities.

Regarding these restrictions, the Hungarian National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYÉI) published a communication, which contains the following rules in the context of face-to-face promotional activities for medicinal products, medical devices and dietary supplements.

• When carrying out a promotional visit, the medical sales representative must have a valid immunity certificate or a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test within 48 hours prior to the visit.
• The medical sales representative must present the immunity certificate or the negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test to prove eligibility for the visit. The document should be verified by the healthcare professional who is visited.
• The medical sales representatives must wear a surgical, FFP2 or FFP3 mask covering nose and mouth throughout the entire visit.
• Particular attention should be paid to hygiene rules and hand disinfection before and after the visit.
• The medical sales representative must not interfere with the healthcare service provider's activities or patient care while carrying out promotional activity.
• The medical sales representative can only visit the person authorised to prescribe and train the use of medicinal products or medical aids for the purpose of providing information at a pre-arranged time. The time specified by the person authorised to prescribe will be exclusively at a time when the person does not carry out curative-preventive activities in accordance with the healthcare provider's care plan.
• The promotional activity carried out at the time specified by the person authorised to prescribe and train the use of medical aids must not interfere with the curative-preventive activity in accordance with the healthcare provider's care plan.

For further information on the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry, contact your regular CMS advisor or local CMS experts.