Healthcare professionals having a relationship with a company

Updated 23 November 2020

Doctors, nurses and dentists undertaking clinical duties as well as proprietary pharmacists and prescribing pharmacists must notify the Danish Medicines Agency of any relationship with companies or apply to the Danish Medicines Agency for permission to establish a relationship with a company.

The notification duty and the obligation to apply for permission include:

  • proprietary pharmacists having a relationship with pharmaceutical and medical device companies
  • doctors having a relationship with pharmaceutical and medical device companies as well as stores specialised in the sale of medical devices
  • nurses having a relationship with medical device companies
  • dentists having a relationship with pharmaceutical and medical device companies
  • prescribing pharmacists having a relationship with pharmaceutical companies

 Profession Pharmaceutical company
Medical device company
Stores specialised in the sale of medical devices
 Proprietary pharmacists X X  
 Doctors X X X
 Nurses   X  
 Dentists X X  

    Professional and financial relationships

    A relationship includes any professional and financial relations with a company.

    A professional relationship may cover individual tasks (for example research, teaching or the writing of articles), full-time or part-time employment. Generally, all types of relationship are covered by the rules, even if you do not receive payments from the company.

    Financial relations cover healthcare professionals who own or hold securities in a pharmaceutical or medical device company or a store specialised in the sale of medical devices.

    Doctors having a relationship with industry

    Rules on relationships in connection with participation in panel debates


    Openness about collaboration with industry

    The notification duty and the obligation to apply for permission are intended to ensure that healthcare professionals have no conflicts of interest. The purpose of the rules is to ensure that healthcare professionals have no financial or other interests in the industry that may influence their clinical duties, as well as to promote public confidence in the health sector.