Healthcare professionals and specialists covered by the rules

Which healthcare professionals are covered by the rules on professional relationships and when are they covered?

• Proprietary pharmacists
• Prescribing pharmacists
• Midwives
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Dentists

The rules on professional relationships apply to healthcare professionals who either: 

• treat patients in Denmark (also applies to cosmetic treatments, voluntary work and clinical trials or investigations)
• have a managerial position, in which they have a significant influence on choices made by other doctors, nurses or dentists in relation to patient treatment
• work in a prescription-handling unit (only applies to prescribing pharmacists)
• are proprietary pharmacists, who, upon appointment as proprietary pharmacists, become subject to the rules on professional relationships. 

If you are a prescribing pharmacist as well as a proprietary pharmacist, your notification and application must be made as a proprietary pharmacist. 

Which professions are covered for which types of companies?

Doctors are covered by the following companies:

• Pharmaceutical companies
• Medical device companies
• Stores specialised in the sale of medical devices

Nurses, pharmacists and dentists are covered by the following companies:

• Pharmaceutical companies
• Medical device companies

Midwives and prescribing pharmacists are covered by the following companies:

• Pharmaceutical companies

The rules on financial support do not differentiate between clinical work and having a managerial position; only the profession will determine whether you are covered. 

The following professions are covered by pharmaceutical and medical device companies

• Bioanalysts, incl. students
• Pharmacists, incl. pharmacist students
• Pharmacy technicians, incl. pharmacy technician students
• Midwives, incl. midwife students
• Clinical dieticians, incl. students
• Doctors, incl. medical students
• Radiographers, incl. radiography students
• Social and healthcare assistants, incl. students
• Nurses, incl. student nurses
• Dentists, incl. dental students

The following professions are only covered by pharmaceutical companies

• Veterinarians, incl. students 
• Veterinary nurses, incl. students

Specialists engaged in buying and selling are also covered by the rules on financial support

Certain specialists engaging in the buying and selling of medicinal products and medical devices are also covered by the rules and must notify the Danish Medicines Agency if they receive payments to attend professionally relevant activities abroad or international, professionally relevant conventions and conferences in Denmark.

Pharmaceutical companies

In terms of pharmaceutical companies, the following specialists engaged in buying and selling are covered:

• Owners of and senior staff of stores authorised to sell OTC medicines permitted for sale outside pharmacies or medicinal products for production animals (see section 35 – link to section)
• Persons who offer commercial advice on and buy medicinal products outside pharmacies, including persons in the hospital sector (see section 36)

• Persons who offer commercial advice on medicinal products are defined as persons who, for business purposes, offer professional advice on medicinal products to municipalities, regions, the state, hospitals and other healthcare institutions.
• For example, consultants and other persons offering professional advice on medicinal products as part of their business. The provision does not include employees at pharmacies or medical sales representatives employed by a pharmaceutical company. 
• Persons who purchase medicinal products are defined as persons who are employed to purchase medicinal products, i.e. purchasers employed at hospitals, in regions, municipalities or self-governing institutions. 

Medical device companies

In terms of medical device companies, the following specialists are covered:

• Owners of and senior staff of stores selling medical devices (see section 19)
• Medical technicians and other persons who, for business purposes, offer advice on medical devices and buy medical devices (see section 20)

• Persons who offer commercial advice on medical devices are defined as persons who, for business purposes, offer professional advice on medical devices to municipalities, regions, the state, hospitals and other healthcare institutions, including private clinics.
• For example, medical technicians, medical engineers, consultants and other persons offering professional advice on medical devices as part of their business. The provision does not include medical device consultants employed by a medical device company. 
• Persons who buy medical devices are defined as persons who are employed to buy medical devices. For example, purchasers employed at hospitals, in regions, municipalities, self-governing institutions or private clinics.