Gifts and Vendor Relationships

OHSU members should visit the Gifts and Vendor/Industry Relationships page on O2.

Personal Gifts policy

The Personal Gifts policy prohibits the acceptance of gifts when clearly offered or provided by OHSU vendors (or potential vendors), or when acceptance of such gifts could inappropriately influence or appear to inappropriately influence a decision to be made by an OHSU member. This includes promotional items such as mugs, pens, notepads, clocks, t-shirts and similar items displaying vendor logos or symbols. Vendors should refrain from bringing such items on campus during permitted pre-arranged appointments.

Note: OHSU policies meet the requirements of the revised Oregon Ethics law. This includes limiting gifts from OHSU vendors that may be accepted or solicited by OHSU member relatives, including: a spouse or domestic partner, children, siblings, spouses of siblings, parents, or a spouse's parent or parents.

Limitations to Vendor Presence policy

The Limitations to Vendor Presence policy states that vendor representatives are allowed on campus only if they have a valid OHSU identification badge, and are attending a pre-arranged appointment with an OHSU member from the following list.

Permitted pre-arranged appointments:

  • Meetings associated with educational activities on OHSU premises that meet the requirements of Commercial Funding of Education
  • Vendor fairs organized in collaboration with OHSU
  • Meetings with OHSU members that are for non-promotional purposes such as discussing research collaborations or other exchange of scientific information and/or providing technical support
  • Meetings with OHSU members representing purchasing committees or Research Stores
  • Service, evaluations or consultations on already-purchased devices or products
  • Vendors that are reimbursing OHSU for the purpose of observing equipment, processes and procedures (no promotion or product endorsement is allowed in association with these activities)

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Frequently asked questions

Yes.

However, OHSU policy requires that all commercial funding of educational activities adhere to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education standards for commercial support. These are a nationally recognized set of standards establishing appropriate rules for industry funding of education.

The following guidance applies whether or not continuing education credits are assigned to the activity, and independent of event location or hosting body.

Event content and format should support the educational aims of the activity rather than any commercial interests. Specifically:

  1. All significant financial interests and conflicts of interest on the part of those organizing or presenting the educational activity must be disclosed to OHSU and to the educational activity prior to the beginning of the educational activity.
  2. Disclosure of commercial support (including "in-kind" support) must be made to all participants prior to the educational activity and must not include use of a trade name, logo or product-group message.
  3. The commercial interest cannot be the agent providing the educational activity (e.g., distribution of study guides or accessibility to electronic materials). Identification of educational needs; determination of event objectives, presentation content, speaker selection, attendees; and evaluation, all must be determined free of influence by commercial interests.
  4. Presentations must give a balanced view of therapeutic options. Whenever possible, generic names should be used and trade names from several companies used in grouping rather than individually.
  5. Materials that are part of the educational activity (e.g., slides, abstracts, handouts) cannot contain advertising, trade name, or a product-group message.
  6. Arrangements for commercial exhibits or advertisements associated with the event cannot be a condition for providing support.
  7. Promotional exhibits and presentations and printed or electronic promotional activities must be kept separate from the educational activity.
  8. Promotional activities (e.g., sales, product-promotion material, product-specific advertisement, sales are prohibited in the same room during, directly before or directly after the educational event.
  9. Social events and meals cannot compete or take precedence over the educational activity.

Financial compensation associated with the event:

  1. OHSU must make all decisions regarding the disbursement of industry support for the event. 
  2. Any compensation to event organizers and presenters is made directly by OHSU or other (non-commercial) partners for the event.
  3. Compensation is not allowed to be made for attendance at the event per se (e.g., in the form of travel, lodging or registration fees).

Note: Individual aspects of the event such as meals, notepads, pens, cups and ancillary services may not be directly provided by the commercial supporter.