Faculty of

Pharmaceutical
Medicineof the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom
Advancing the science and practice of pharmaceutical medicine for the benefit of the public

Good Pharmaceutical
Medical Practice12th November 2014

Introduction
Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice provides all doctors practising pharmaceutical medicine around theworld with specific guidance and direction on expected standards, conduct and behaviour. The Facultyof Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (FPM) advocatesthat the principles outlined in this document are appropriate for all those involved in the practice ofpharmaceutical medicine anywhere in the world. This represents a code for the membership of the FPM.
Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice complements international and national legislation.i-vii We have chosen
Good Medical Practice 2013viii (GMC) as its foundation. Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice is guidance,
rather than a statutory code. Its intention is to provide additional direction to doctors who specialise orparticipate in the practice of pharmaceutical medicine. The text in blue within this document has
been added by the FPM.
Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice has been written to apply to all circumstances to ensure that it contains
universal standards of good medical practice in pharmaceutical medicine. Good Pharmaceutical Medical
Practice extends upon the principles first outlined in Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice (2008)ix and the
Guiding Principles for Pharmaceutical Physicians (2010).x It also takes account of the results of the FPM surveyof members on transparency in clinical trials (2014).xi

What is pharmaceutical medicine?
Pharmaceutical medicine involves understanding and promoting the interests of patients, society andpublic health. It involves the discovery, development, licensing, ethical marketing and safety of medicines,
diagnostics and medical devices. Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice makes clear the relationship between
pharmaceutical medicine and patients. Patient safety must always be the primary concern of doctors.
Although many doctors practising pharmaceutical medicine do not have direct contact with patients, thedoctor’s responsibility extends to any individual whose care may be affected by their actions.
Pharmaceutical medicine has a global impact on healthcare. It is practised in diverse environments, including
academic centres, clinical pharmacology and clinical trial units, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and service
companies, regulatory authorities and independent practice. Pharmaceutical medicine may also involvecommercial, managerial and business activities. The principles of Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice apply
in all of these settings. In pharmaceutical medicine, decisions taken locally may have implications either
globally or in an individual country or territory.

2

Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeWhy develop additional guidance?
Doctors practising pharmaceutical medicine are bound by the same ethical standards that apply to all
doctors. Their work, however, leads to some special situations with ethical considerations that may not be
fully explored in general ethical codes designed for clinical medicine.
All doctors must understand the balance between the benefits and the potential risks and adverse effectsof medical interventions. However, doctors practising pharmaceutical medicine may also be involved in
the development of experimental treatments, which may have a limited knowledge base and are not yet
approved for licensure by the relevant regulatory authorities. This is unlike medicines used in everyday
medical practice, which are approved by regulatory authorities and typically may have been evaluated inlong-term use in medical practice. Thus the efficacy and safety profile of a novel or experimental treatment
will continue to evolve and will require ethical management throughout its lifecycle.
Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice is a code of practice for the membership of the FPM. Consequently,
if you are a member of the FPM, you are expected to follow this guidance. If you contribute to thepractice of pharmaceutical medicine but are not a member of the FPM, we trust that you will read thisguidance and apply its principles. At a minimum, Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice assumes compliancewith international legislation. However, we consider that mere compliance is not enough. The need forhigher standards must be applied to the care of the individual and public health.

Probity, ethics and pharmaceutical medicine
You should promote probity, namely adherence to the highest ethical principles and ideals, wherever you
practice. Probity is at the centre of the practice of medicine, education and ethics. Good Pharmaceutical
Medical Practice involves a duty of care to society in respect of the research and delivery of medical
interventions. Concerns regarding areas such as ethical practice, patient safety and data integrity must be
highlighted to the appropriate governance structure.You must act as an advocate for the patient.

The definition of ‘patient’ within this document
Throughout this document, the term ‘patient’ means those receiving a licensed or unlicensed medical
intervention, including those in clinical trials.The term ‘patient’ is used to mean both healthy volunteers andpeople living with disease.
A medical intervention may include a medicine used in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease.
The term medicine may include a drug, vaccine, diagnostic or device.
The GMC document Good Medical Practiceviii is specifically focused on the needs of the patient.
Therefore the commentary inserted here by the FPM (blue print) follows the same principleof putting the patient first but in the practice of pharmaceutical medicine.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice3

The duties of a doctor registered with the General Medical Council
Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and health. To justify that trust you must showrespect for human life and make sure your practice meets the standards expected of you in four domains:

Knowledge, skills and performance•

Make the care of your patient your first concern.

•

Provide a good standard of practice and care.
oKeep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.

o

Recognise and work within the limits of your competence.

Safety and quality•

Take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is being compromised.

•

Protect and promote the health of patients and the public.

Communication, partnership and teamwork•••

Treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity.
oTreat patients politely and considerately.

oRespect patients’ right to confidentiality.

Work in partnership with patients.
oListen to, and respond to, their concerns and preferences.

o

Give patients the information they want or need in a way they can understand.

o

Respect patients’ right to reach decisions with you about their treatment and care.

oSupport patients in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health.

Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests.

Maintaining trust•

Be honest and open and act with integrity.

•

Never discriminate unfairly against patients or colleagues.

•

Never abuse your patients’ trust in you or the public’s trust in the profession.

You are personally accountable for your professional practice and must always be prepared to justify yourdecisions and actions.

4Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeProfessionalism in action
1.

Patients need good doctors. Good doctors make the care of their patients their first concern: they
are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, establish and maintain good relationships
with patients and colleagues,* are honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity and within the law.

You may not have direct patient contact, but you must still put the needs and well-being of patients first.
2.

Good doctors work in partnership with patients and respect their rights to privacy and dignity. They
treat each patient as an individual.They do their best to make sure all patients receive good care andtreatment that will support them to live as well as possible, whatever their illness or disability.

3.

Good medical practice describes what is expected of all doctors registered with the General Medical
Council (GMC). It is your responsibility to be familiar with Good medical practice and the explanatory
guidance† which supports it, and to follow the guidance they contain.

The principles contained within Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice apply internationally. You should befamiliar with and follow Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice.
4.

You must use your judgement in applying the principles to the various situations you will face as adoctor, whether or not you hold a licence to practise, whatever field of medicine you work in, andwhether or not you routinely see patients.You must be prepared to explain and justify your decisions
and actions.

5.

In Good Medical Practice, we use the terms ‘you must’ and ‘you should’ in the following ways.
‘You must’ is used for an overriding duty or principle.
‘You should’ is used when we are providing an explanation of how you will meet the overriding duty.
‘You should’ is also used where the duty or principle will not apply in all situations or circumstances,or where there are factors outside your control that affect whether or how you can follow theguidance.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice is guidance rather than a statutory code. However, throughout thisdocument the definitions of ‘you must’ and ‘you should’ apply as described above. Decisions are frequently
made by a team.You must be prepared to explain and justify your contribution to decisions that may affectthe safety and well-being of patients.
6.

To maintain a licence to practise, you must demonstrate, through the revalidation process, that you
work in line with the principles and values set out in this guidance. Serious or persistent failure tofollow this guidance will put your registration at risk.

You should use Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice as an adjunct to Good Medical Practice when revalidatingin the United Kingdom. For other doctors you should use the principles of Good Pharmaceutical Medical
Practice as the standard to judge your practice against.

* Colleagues include anyone a doctor works with, whether or not they are also doctors.
† You can find all the explanatory guidance on our website (www.gmc-uk.org/guidance).

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice5

Domain 1: Knowledge, skills and performance
Develop and maintain your professional performance
You should maintain membership of one or more professional bodies relevant to your practice ofpharmaceutical medicine.
7.

You must be competent in all aspects of your work, including management, research and teaching.1, 2, 3

8.

You must keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.

9.

You must regularly take part in activities that maintain and develop your competence and performance.4

10.

You should be willing to find and take part in structured support opportunities offered by youremployer or contracting body (for example, mentoring). You should do this when you join an
organisation and whenever your role changes significantly throughout your career.

This also applies to self-employed and independent pharmaceutical doctors.
11.

You must be familiar with guidelines and developments that affect your work.

12.

You must keep up to date with, and follow, the law, our guidance and other regulations relevant toyour work.

13.

You must take steps to monitor and improve the quality of your work.

In pharmaceutical medicine the terms ‘monitor’ and ‘improve quality’ can take many forms, such as audit,
inspection and other feedback. You should use this feedback to identify both good and bad actions, learn
and promote positive change.

Apply knowledge and experience to practice14.

You must recognise and work within the limits of your competence.
14.1 You must have the necessary knowledge of the English language to provide a good standard ofpractice and care in the UK

Although the requirement for knowledge of English is included in Good Medical Practice, the principle ofhaving language skills appropriate to your practice is relevant universally.
15.

You must provide a good standard of practice and care. If you assess, diagnose or treat patients, you
must:a. adequately assess the patient’s conditions, taking account of their history (including thesymptoms and psychological, spiritual, social and cultural factors), their views and values; where
necessary, examine the patientb. promptly provide or arrange suitable advice, investigations or treatment where necessaryc. refer a patient to another practitioner when this serves the patient’s needs.5

6

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice16.

In providing clinical care you must:a. prescribe drugs or treatment, including repeat prescriptions, only when you have adequate
knowledge of the patient’s health and are satisfied that the drugs or treatment serve thepatient’s needs6
b. provide effective treatments based on the best available evidencec. take all possible steps to alleviate pain and distress whether or not a cure may be possible7
d. consult colleagues where appropriate
e. respect the patient’s right to seek a second opinion
f. check that the care or treatment you provide for each patient is compatible with any othertreatments the patient is receiving, including (where possible) self-prescribed over-the-counter
medications
g. wherever possible, avoid providing medical care to yourself or anyone with whom you have aclose personal relationship.6

Pharmaceutical medicine may affect clinical care in situations such as clinical trials.
Information provided to healthcare professionals and patients must permit objective clinical decisionmaking based on the benefit:risk profile of available medicines.
17.

You must be satisfied that you have consent or other valid authority before you carry out any
examination or investigation, provide treatment or involve patients or volunteers in teaching or
research.2, 8, 9

Research may also include experimental treatments where the benefit:risk profile has not yet been clearly
established and/or is evolving. If the benefit:risk profile has changed during the development programmethen this should be shared with the involved patients. If necessary, you must obtain further consent fromthe patients participating in the research.
18.

You must make good use of the resources available to you.1

You must also ensure that the necessary resources will be available to meaningfully conduct and complete
any aspect of your work where it involves and affects patients.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice7

Record your work clearly, accurately and legibly
19.

Documents you make (including clinical records) to formally record your work must be clear,accurate and legible. You should make records at the same time as the events you are recording or
as soon as possible afterwards.

20.

You must keep records that contain personal information about patients, colleagues or others
securely, and in line with any data protection requirements.10

21.

Clinical records should include:
a. relevant clinical findingsb. the decisions made and actions agreed, and who is making the decisions and agreeing theactionsc. the information given to patientsd. any drugs prescribed or other investigation or treatment
e. who is making the record and when.

Accurate documentation is essential to the practice of pharmaceutical medicine. Good Clinical Practice,xii
Good Pharmacovigilance Practice,xiii Good Laboratory Practicexiv-xv and Good Manufacturing Practicexvi are
the essential operational guidelines for our work. Other regulations enshrining the principles of paragraphs
19–21 in the practice of pharmaceutical medicine are referenced in the International Conference on
Harmonisation (ICH) Guidelines.xvii

8Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeDomain 2: Safety and quality
Contribute to and comply with systems to protect patients22.

You must take part in systems of quality assurance and quality improvement to promote patient
safety. This includes:
a. taking part in regular reviews and audits of your work and that of your team, responding
constructively to the outcomes, taking steps to address any problems and carrying out further
training where necessary
b. regularly reflecting on your standards of practice and the care you provide
c. reviewing patient feedback where it is available.

In pharmaceutical medicine you should take account of feedback from other individuals and groups suchas healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies and organisations representing patients, and when needed
undertake quality improvement programmes.
23.

To help keep patients safe you must:a. contribute to confidential inquiries
b. contribute to adverse event recognitionc. report adverse incidents involving medical devices that put or have the potential to put thesafety of a patient, or another person, at riskd. report suspected adverse drug reactions
e. respond to requests from organisations monitoring public health.
When providing information for these purposes you should still respect patients’ confidentiality.10

You must take prompt action when you believe that patient safety may be compromised. You must reportadverse events and other safety concerns to the relevant regulatory agencies according to establishedprocedures.You must also cooperate with official investigations in relation to patient safety.
You must conduct the monitoring of product safety, the prompt management of safety signals, and the
management of incidents, e.g. product quality issues, that could affect patient well-being.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice9Respond to risks to safety
24.

You must promote and encourage a culture that allows all staff to raise concerns openly and safely.1, 11

25.

You must take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is or may be seriously
compromised.
a. If a patient is not receiving basic care to meet their needs, you must immediately tell someone
who is in a position to act straight away.
b. If patients are at risk because of inadequate premises, equipment* or other resources, policies
or systems, you should put the matter right if that is possible. You must raise your concern inline with our guidance11 and your workplace policy.You should also make a record of the steps
you have taken.
c. If you have concerns that a colleague may not be fit to practise and may be putting patients at
risk, you must ask for advice from a colleague, your defence body or us [GMC]. If you are stillconcerned you must report this, in line with our guidance and your workplace policy, and makea record of the steps you have taken.11, 12

Outside the jurisdiction of the GMC, comparable responsibilities and actions should be taken.
You must always consider the needs of both the individual patient and public health. This is particularly
relevant to doctors practising pharmaceutical medicine, who are frequently not involved directly in patientcare and often make decisions related to how a population might respond to treatment.
26.

You must offer help if emergencies arise in clinical settings or in the community, taking account of
your own safety, your competence and the availability of other options for care.

27.

Whether or not you have vulnerable† adults or children and young people as patients, you should consider
their needs and welfare and offer them help if you think their rights have been abused or denied.13,14

You should consider the needs of vulnerable populations and, where appropriate, ensure that they are notexcluded from clinical research either pre- or post- regulatory approval, recognising the special care thatmust be taken.

Protect patients and colleagues from any risk posed by your health28.

If you know or suspect that you have a serious condition that you could pass on to patients, or if
your judgement or performance could be affected by a condition or its treatment, you must consult
a suitably qualified colleague. You must follow their advice about any changes to your practice they
consider necessary.You must not rely on your own assessment of the risk to patients.

29.

You should be immunised against common serious communicable diseases (unless otherwise
contraindicated).

30.

You should be registered with a general practitioner outside your family.

Irrespective of your place of work or where you live, you should consult an independent medical practitioner
regarding your own health.
* Follow the guidance in paragraph 23c (page 10) if the risk arises from an adverse incident involving a medical device.
† Some patients are likely to be more vulnerable than others because of their illness, disability or frailty or because of their current circumstances, such as bereavement or redundancy.You should treat children and young people under 18 years as vulnerable.Vulnerability can be temporary
or permanent.

10Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeDomain 3: Communication, partnership and teamwork
Communicate effectively
31.

You must listen to patients, take account of their views, and respond honestly to their questions.

This may also include the carers of vulnerable and/or unconscious patients.You should also listen to others
representing patient interests.
32.

You must give patients* the information they want or need to know in a way they can understand.
You should make sure that arrangements are made, wherever possible, to meet patients’ language
and communication needs.15

You should anticipate the information needs of the patient in the preparation of communications such as
informed consent forms, patient information leaflets, patient support materials and social media. Theseshould be accurate, complete and expressed in terms that are easily understood and not misleading.
33.

You must be considerate to those close to the patient and be sensitive and responsive in giving theminformation and support.

34.

When you are on duty you must be readily accessible to patients and colleagues seeking information,
advice or support.

When you are responsible for providing information, advice or support you must be readily accessible forsafety issues and medical monitoring activities.

Work collaboratively with colleagues to maintain or improve patient care
You should demonstrate leadership in the promotion of probity, namely the adherence to the highest
ethical principles and ideals, wherever you practise.
35.

You must work collaboratively with colleagues, respecting their skills and contributions.1

36.

You must treat colleagues fairly and with respect.

37.

You must be aware of how your behaviour may influence others within and outside the team.

You have a professional responsibility to uphold the highest standards of behaviour with colleagues. As
pharmaceutical medicine is practised as a global specialty, consideration for cultural and linguistic differences
is of particular importance at a regional, national and international level.
38.

Patient safety may be affected if there is not enough medical cover. So you must take up any post
you have formally accepted, and work your contractual notice period before leaving a job, unless theemployer has reasonable time to make other arrangements.

*Patients here includes those people with the legal authority to make healthcare decisions on a patient’s behalf.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice11

Teaching, training, supporting and assessing
39.

You should be prepared to contribute to teaching and training doctors and students.

To support the development and use of treatments, you should contribute to the training of both medical
and non-medical staff. This will help to ensure that they have appropriate knowledge in pharmaceutical
medicine.
40.

You must make sure that all staff you manage have appropriate supervision.

41.

You must be honest and objective when writing references, and when appraising or assessing theperformance of colleagues, including locums and students. References must include all information
relevant to your colleagues’ competence, performance and conduct.16

42.

You should be willing to take on a mentoring role for more junior doctors and other healthcare
professionals.1

43.

You must support colleagues who have problems with their performance or health. But you must put
patient safety first at all times.1

Continuity and coordination of care44.

You must contribute to the safe transfer of patients between healthcare providers and between
health and social care providers. This means you must:a. share all relevant information with colleagues involved in your patients’ care within and outside
the team, including when you hand over care responsibility as you go off duty, and when you
delegate care or refer patients to other health or social care providers5,10
b.

45.

12

check, where practical, that a named clinician or team has taken over responsibility when yourrole in providing a patient’s care has ended. This may be particularly important for patientswith impaired capacity or who are vulnerable for other reasons.

When you do not provide your patients’ care yourself, for example when you are off duty, or you
delegate the care of a patient to a colleague, you must be satisfied that the person providing care has
the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to provide safe care for the patient.5

Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeEstablish and maintain partnerships with patients
Patients and their representatives can offer unique insights into disease and illness. You have an obligation
to work with patient advocates in the interests of public health. Care should be taken to manage potential
conflicts of interest.
46.

You must be polite and considerate.

47.

You must treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity and privacy.1248.

You must treat patients fairly and with respect whatever their life choices and beliefs.

49.

You must work in partnership with patients, sharing with them the information they will need tomake decisions about their care,15 including:a. their condition, its likely progression and the options for treatment, including associated risks
and uncertainties
b. the progress of their care, and your role and responsibilities in the teamc. who is responsible for each aspect of patient care, and how information is shared within teams
and among those who will be providing their cared. any other information patients need if they are asked to agree to be involved in teaching or
research.9

50.

You must treat information about patients as confidential. This includes after a patient has died.10

You must only share individual patient data with others after taking measures to protect patient privacy,
including obtaining relevant consent and obtaining ethical advice.
51.

You must support patients in caring for themselves to empower them to improve and maintain theirhealth. This may, for example, include:a. advising patients on the effects of their life choices and lifestyle on their health and well-being
b. supporting patients to make lifestyle changes where appropriate.

52.

You must explain to patients if you have a conscientious objection to a particular procedure. You
must tell them about their right to see another doctor and make sure they have enough information
to exercise that right. In providing this information you must not imply or express disapproval of
the patient’s lifestyle, choices or beliefs. If it is not practical for a patient to arrange to see anotherdoctor, you must make sure that arrangements are made for another suitably qualified colleague totake over your role.17

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice13

Domain 4: Maintaining trustShow respect for patients53.

You must not use your professional position to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationshipwith a patient or someone close to them.12

54.

You must not express your personal beliefs (including political, religious and moral beliefs) to patientsin ways that exploit their vulnerability or are likely to cause them distress.17

55.

You must be open and honest with patients if things go wrong. If a patient under your care has
suffered harm or distress, you should:
a. put matters right (if that is possible)b. offer an apologyc. explain fully and promptly what has happened and the likely short-term and long-term effects.

An apology is an expression of regret that an event has occurred and is not necessarily an admission of
liability or guilt. When conducting clinical research, it is often not possible to predict an adverse event orside effect of treatment or to be able to fully explain the likely long-term effects. It is important to express
this uncertainty before treatment and not give unfounded reassurance. If a patient has suffered harm thenyou should express regret and empathy.

Treat patients and colleagues fairly and without discrimination
56.

You must give priority to patients on the basis of their clinical need if these decisions are within yourpower. If inadequate resources, policies or systems prevent you from doing this, and patient safety,
dignity or comfort may be seriously compromised, you must follow the guidance in paragraph 25b.

57.

The investigations or treatment you provide or arrange must be based on the assessment you andyour patient make of their needs and priorities, and on your clinical judgement about the likely
effectiveness of the treatment options. You must not refuse or delay treatment because you believethat a patient’s actions or lifestyle have contributed to their condition.

Pharmaceutical doctors are frequently involved in the conduct of clinical trials, either as sponsor
representative or clinical investigator. You must ensure that the clinical trial has a reasonable probability ofsuccessfully answering the research question. The intervention in the clinical study must be justified. If you
are acting as the clinical investigator, you must consider the likelihood of the individual completing the study
as part of the enrolment process. As clinical investigator, you can only advise the patient on the potential
outcome and must consider the safety of the patient throughout a clinical trial.
58.

You must not deny treatment to patients because their medical condition may put you at risk. If apatient poses a risk to your health or safety, you should take all available steps to minimise the risk
before providing treatment or making other suitable alternative arrangements for providing treatment.

59.

You must not unfairly discriminate against patients or colleagues by allowing your personal views* toaffect your professional relationships or the treatment you provide or arrange.You should challenge
colleagues if their behaviour does not comply with this guidance, and follow the guidance in paragraph25c if the behaviour amounts to abuse or denial of a patient’s or colleague’s rights.

* This includes your views about a patient’s or colleague’s lifestyle, culture or their social or economic status, as well as the characteristics
protected by legislation: age, disability, gender reassignment, race, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex
and sexual orientation.

14

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice60.

You must consider and respond to the needs of disabled patients and should make reasonableadjustments† to your practice so they can receive care to meet their needs.

61.

You must respond promptly, fully and honestly to complaints and apologise when appropriate. You
must not allow a patient’s complaint to adversely affect the care or treatment you provide or arrange.

62.

You should end a professional relationship with a patient only when the breakdown of trust between
you and the patient means you cannot provide good clinical care to the patient.18

63.

You must make sure you have adequate insurance or indemnity cover so that your patients will not
be disadvantaged if they make a claim about the clinical care you have provided in the UK.

You must ensure that the clinical trial sponsor holds adequate insurance for the study before the enrolmentof patients.
As pharmaceutical medicine is practised globally, you must ensure that you have adequate insurance orindemnity cover for all the jurisdictions in which you are working.
64.

If someone you have contact with in your professional role asks for your registered name and/or
GMC reference number, you must give this information to them.

If you are not registered with the GMC, then you should provide adequate information according to yourlocal guidelines.

Act with honesty and integrity
Honesty65.

You must make sure that your conduct justifies your patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in
the profession.

66.

You must always be honest about your experience, qualifications and current role.

67.

You must act with honesty and integrity when designing, organising or carrying out research, andfollow national research governance guidelines and our guidance.2

When conducting research anywhere in the world, you should select investigational sites based upon thehealth needs and the principles of ethics and probity outlined in this document.
You should ensure that local regulations and low costs do not unduly influence the conduct of clinical trials.
You should give special consideration to the design and conduct of clinical trials in the developing world.
This is because of the ethical and public health issues related to the continuing provision of treatment andcare.

† ‘Reasonable adjustments’ does not only mean changes to the physical environment. It can include, for example, being flexible about appointment
time or length, and making arrangements for those with communication difficulties such as impaired hearing. For more information see the EHRC
website (www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance).

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice15

Communicating information
You must ensure that all communications comply with local regulations and standards and, where applicable,
codes of promotional practice.
68.

You must be honest and trustworthy in all your communication with patients and colleagues. Thismeans you must make clear the limits of your knowledge and make reasonable checks to make sureany information you give is accurate.

69.

When communicating publicly, including speaking to or writing in the media, you must maintainpatient confidentiality.You should remember when using social media that communications intended
for friends or family may become more widely available.10,19

70.

When advertising your services, you must make sure the information you publish is factual and canbe checked, and does not exploit patients’ vulnerability or lack of medical knowledge.

71.

You must be honest and trustworthy when writing reports, and when completing or signing forms,
reports and other documents.16 You must make sure that any documents you write or sign are notfalse or misleading.
a. You must take reasonable steps to check the information is correct.
b. You must not deliberately leave out relevant information.

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine advocates the following principles relating to disclosure anddissemination of information.
You must support and promote all of these principles.
• Timely registration of all clinical trials.
• Prompt communication of overall clinical trial results to all participants.
• Authors of documents that are released into the public domain must be fully conversant withthe study results and supporting data.
• Summary results must be made public as soon as possible after completion of a clinical trial.
The date of release of information should not be dependent upon market or pricing approvalor the continuation or discontinuation of the clinical trial or the whole project.
• Release of anonymised patient-level data to third parties must be in line with national
regulations.
• Promotional materials and/or information destined for patients, healthcare professionals, andpricing and reimbursement bodies must be complete, balanced and easily understood by theintended audience.
You are also required to comply with national and international legislation relating to clinical trial disclosure.

16

Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeOpenness and legal or disciplinary proceedings
72.

You must be honest and trustworthy when giving evidence to courts or tribunals.20 You must makesure that any evidence you give or documents you write or sign are not false or misleading.
a. You must take reasonable steps to check the information.
b. You must not deliberately leave out relevant information.

73.

You must cooperate with formal inquiries and complaints procedures and must offer all relevant
information while following the guidance in Confidentiality.

74.

You must make clear the limits of your competence and knowledge when giving evidence or acting
as a witness.20

75.

You must tell us [GMC] without delay if, anywhere in the world:
a. you have accepted a caution from the police or been criticised by an official inquiry
b. you have been charged with or found guilty of a criminal offencec. another professional body has made a finding against your registration as a result of fitness topractise procedures.21

This is specific to those registered with the GMC. However, the same principles apply if you are registeredwith another regulatory body or bodies.
76.

If you are suspended by an organisation from a medical post, or have restrictions placed on yourpractice, you must, without delay, inform any other organisations you carry out medical work for andany patients you see independently.

Honesty in financial dealings
Integrity in business dealings is a fundamental principle of pharmaceutical medicine.
77.

You must be honest in financial and commercial dealings with patients, employers, insurers and otherorganisations or individuals.22

78.

You must not allow any interests you have to affect the way you prescribe for, treat, refer orcommission services for patients.

79.

If you are faced with a conflict of interest, you must be open about the conflict, declaring yourinterest formally, and you should be prepared to exclude yourself from decision making.

80.

You must not ask for or accept – from patients, colleagues or others – any inducement, gift or
hospitality that may affect or be seen to affect the way you prescribe for, treat or refer patients orcommission services for patients.You must not offer these inducements.

You must operate within applicable local and international laws, regulations and guidelines relating tosponsorship, gifts, hospitality and the provision of grants and services allied to medical care.

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice17

References (GMC)
1

General Medical Council (2012) Leadership and management for all doctors London, GMC

2

General Medical Council (2010) Good practice in research London, GMC

3

General Medical Council (2011) Developing teachers and trainers in undergraduate medical
education London, GMC

4

General Medical Council (2012) Continuing professional development: guidance for all doctors
London, GMC

5General Medical Council (2013) Delegation and referral London, GMC

6

General Medical Council (2013) Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices
London, GMC

7

General Medical Council (2010) Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice indecision-making London, GMC

8General Medical Council (2011) Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients London,
GMC

9

General Medical Council ((2010) Consent to research London, GMC

10

General Medical Council (2009) Confidentiality London, GMC

11

General Medical Council (2012) Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety London, GMC

12

General Medical Council (2013) Maintaining boundaries London, GMC• Intimate examinations and chaperones (paragraphs 47, 25c)
• Maintaining a professional boundary between you and your patient (paragraph 53)• Sexual behaviour and your duty to report(paragraphs 53, 25c)

13

General Medical Council (2007) 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors London, GMC

14

General Medical Council (2012) Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all
doctors London, GMC

15

General Medical Council (2008), Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together London,
GMC

16

General Medical Council (2012), Writing references London, GMC

17

General Medical Council (2013) Personal beliefs and medical practice London, GMC

18

General Medical Council (2013) Ending your professional relationship with a patient London, GMC

19

General Medical Council (2013) Doctors’ use of social media, London GMC

20

General Medical Council (2013) Acting as a witness in legal proceedings London, GMC

21

General Medical Council (2013) Reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings within and outside
the UK London, GMC

22

General Medical Council (2013) Financial and commercial arrangements and conflicts of interest
London, GMC

Acknowledgements
There are too many individuals to thank for useful ideas, review and writing. Many of these ideas
were contributed by members of the Faculty who wanted to better explain the requirements ofpharmaceutical medicine to fellow healthcare professionals, patients and the general public.The Facultyis extremely grateful for their contribution and perseverance.

18

Good Pharmaceutical Medical PracticeReferences (pharmaceutical medicine)
The following references and links were correct at the time of publication.
i

Section 801, Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA 801), Food and Drug
Administration, 2007

ii

Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Medical
Association, 2013

iii

Directive 2001/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 on theapproximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to theimplementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for humanuse, Official Journal of the European Communities, 1 May 2001

iv

Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on clinical
trials on medicinal products for human use, and repealing Directive 2001/20/EC, Official Journal of
European Union, 27 May 2014v

International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, World Health Organisation. http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/vi

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Policy on Clinical Trial Registration, ICMJE.
http://www.icmje.org/about-icmje/faqs/clinical-trials-registration/vii

Section 113, Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, Food and Drug Administration, 1997

viii

Good Medical Practice, London, General Medical Council, 2013

ix

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice, London, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, 2008

x

Guiding Principles for Pharmaceutical Physicians, London, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, 2010

xi

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine survey of members on transparency in clinical trials, London, Facultyof Pharmaceutical Medicine, 2014

xii

Guideline For Good Clinical Practice, International Conference on Harmonisation of TechnicalRequirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. ICH Harmonised Tripartite
Guideline. 10 June 1996

xiii

Good Pharmacovigilance Practices, European Medicines Agency. http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.
jsp?curl=pages/regulation/document_listing/document_listing_000345.jsp

xiv

Directive 2004/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on theinspection and verification of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Official Journal of the European Union,
2004

xv

Directive 2004/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on theharmonisation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of the principles
of good laboratory practice and the verification of their applications for tests on chemical substances(codified version), Official Journal of the European Union, 2004

xvi

Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines. Commission Directives 91/356/EEC, as amended by
Directive 2003/94/EC, and 91/412/EEC, European Commission

xvii

The International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of
Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Guidelines http://www.ich.org/products/guidelines.html

Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice19

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Pharmaceutical Medicine
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