« back to GLOBAL TRANSPARENCY PAGE

District of Columbia
transparency obligations overview

Last reviewed: June 2024 | Important Notes

Report Due Date

July 1 ($5,000 annual fee)

Authority

D.C. Department of Health – Prescription Drug Marketing Costs Guide

Who Must Report

Pharmaceutical manufacturers

Covered Recipients

• All licensed healthcare providers (HCPs), including nurses, certified diabetes educators (CDEs), registered dieticians, licensed nutritionists, radiology technicians, etc.
• Non-teaching hospitals/clinics
• Universities
• Patient advocacy associations
• Professional associations
• All licensed healthcare facilities, including hospice, long-term care, dialysis, etc.

Pharmaceutical Companies

What is reported:
  • All expenses associated with advertising, marketing and direct promotion of prescription drugs through radio, television, magazines, newspapers, direct mail and telephone communications to D.C. residents
  • Any expenditure for consulting and honoraria fees, charitable grants, educational programs, gifts, meals or entertainment over $25 in value, and travel reimbursement for District healthcare professionals
  • Aggregate cost of employees or contractors who directly or indirectly engage in reportable activity

The required data to be disclosed will vary depending on whether the expense is attributable to gifts, advertising or aggregate cost.

How to Report

  • Email the Excel workbook (in Excel format) containing the “Company Information,” “Gift Expenses,” and “Advertising Expenses” worksheets to DC.Accessrx@dc.gov. Although you are required to utilize the “Aggregate Cost” worksheet to perform your calculations, you are not required to submit the worksheet itself. You may elect instead to submit only the total based on your calculations using the “Aggregate Cost” worksheet. In addition, print out the “Company Information” worksheet only, provide wet signature certification, and mail it to the Department of Health accompanied by a check for $5,000 made payable to “D.C. Treasurer.”
  • The report must be submitted by July 1, and the signed statement and check must be received within 7 days of the report’s submission.
  • Mail signed “Company Information” worksheets and checks to:

Department of Health
Pharmaceutical Control – AccessRx
ATTN: Justin Ortique
2201 Shannon Place SE
Second Floor
Washington, D.C. 20020

Resources

https://dchealth.dc.gov/AccessRX

https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/service_content/attachments/2023InstructionsToManufacturers%20.pdf

Important notes:
  • This information is provided for your convenience and should not be construed as legal advice. The applicability of these requirements to your organization depends on individual circumstances. The information is not exhaustive.
  • Kindly check with your legal department and do not depend solely on the information provided here. Moreover, the rules mentioned could be subject to interpretation of local authorities/courts in the applicable jurisdiction. Lastly, be mindful of the latest update mentioned above. These rules and regulations change frequently, so it is important to determine whether the information reflects that most recent changes and is still applicable.
  • Reporting dates are related to the transparency obligation regarding transfers of value by pharmaceutical companies and/or medical device companies (excluding suppliers of in vitro diagnostics) to HCPs and HCOs. These often are based on laws or rules in codes of conduct of industry associations. In case it is based on codes of conduct, your company only needs to disclose the transfers of value on the mentioned due date if your company is a member of the association that follows that code.
  • “Due date” means the date on which the transfers of value need to be published. For example, the deadline for submitting/sending the complete information to the authority could be before the due date e.g. to give HCPs/HCOs the opportunity to check the data companies are going to disclose.
  • The information does not take into consideration (unless explicitly mentioned):
    • Transparency related to clinical trials (unless it concerns transfers of value as mentioned above)
    • Transparency related to patient organizations (unless the patient organization is considered an HCO)
  • If your company is a member of MedTech/EFPIA (or if the industry association your company belongs to is a member of MedTech/EFPIA), the due dates are as mentioned above for MedTech/EFPIA (end of June), unless a law/regulation specifically states otherwise (e.g., the jurisdiction is suspended/exempted from following MedTech/EFPIA).


Disclaimer:
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by MediSpend and, while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is, therefore, strictly at your own risk.
In no event will MediSpend be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you may be able to link to other websites which are not under the control of MediSpend. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, MediSpend takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.