The expert speaks: Simon Cope tells us about regulation in the pharma industry

The world of pharma meetings has met legal changes which restrict the possibilities of meetings. What is the status today?
The UK ABPI authorities have introduced strict and far reaching guidelines over the years. Since then, more restrictive conditions have been introduced, due to a number of pharmaceutical companies flouting the code. The authorities are under pressure to ensure the pharmaceutical industry remains transparent and ethical. In a recent UK survey, this industry has fallen from the top spot in ethical standards behind both automotive and IT. In my opinion the legal framework works well, but it will need to be tightened further.
 
Are legal environments still very different from one country to the next?
They are. To give you an idea, each EU country sets its own constraints on how delegates should be