Advertising and educational grant sponsorship in CMA's electronic publications and products

1. The standards, restrictions and principles that assure the editorial integrity of print publications apply to advertising in electronic publications and products. (See "Advertising guidelines for CMA Publications".
2. All electronic advertising must comply with the laws and regulations of Canada, the country in which the CMA Web site is based. This includes the following, as appropriate:
   1. the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations;
   2. Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board Code of Advertising Acceptance (for prescription and non-prescription advertising directed to healthcare professionals;
   3. Health Canada Therapeutic Products Directorate's Consumer Drug Advertising Guidelines, administered by Advertising Standards Canada (ASC);
   4. licensing requirements of the Medical Devices Bureau of the Therapeutic Products Programme, Health Canada; or
   5. relevant laws and regulations for products and services not reviewed by either PAAB or ASC.
3. Proof of the legal right to advertise a product or service in Canada (e.g., proof of licence for Class II-IV medical devices from Therapeutic Products Programme, Health Canada) is required in all cases as applicable.
4. Despite any governmental or independent review of the advertisement of a particular product or service, CMA in its sole discretion reserves the right to refuse any electronic advertising.
5. The appearance of electronic advertising is neither a guarantee nor an endorsement by CMA of claims made for a product by the manufacturer.
6. All electronic advertisements must be readily recognizable as advertising. Advertising must not be confused with editorial material.
7. Positions where electronic advertisements may appear will be determined by the CMA. Advertising spots may be available on a journal home page, table of contents, news articles, letters, listings of conferences and continuing medical education events, other articles of a nonclinical nature, CMA Careers and CMA Classifieds. Advertising will appear on the HTML pages only. Details will be available on the rate card.
8. Electronic advertisements may appear as fixed banners or as rotating advertisements, depending on their position.
9. Electronic advertisements will not appear within the text of scientific or clinical articles.
10. Electronic advertising space will not be sold in consideration of specific editorial content.
11. Advertisements may link off the CMA site. The viewer will be informed that by proceeding the viewer will be leaving the CMA site and that the CMA does not assume any responsibility for material on the linked site. Such links must permit the viewer to return to the CMA site.
12. In the case of drug advertising, it is the CMA's policy to accept only prescription and nonprescription drug advertising that has been reviewed by PAAB or ASC, as appropriate. Proof of review is required.
13. Prescription drug advertising is limited to areas of the CMA Web site that are restricted to physicians. As noted above, proof of review by PAAB is required. Prescribing information must be available by a direct hyperlink to such information.
14. Nonprescription drug advertising may appear in unrestricted areas of the CMA Web site. As noted above, proof of review by PAAB (physician advertising) or ASC (public advertising) is required. Related information required by a review agency must be available by a direct hyperlink.
15. Electronic advertising of apparatus, instruments and devices that are intended for preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes must be accompanied by proof of the legal right to advertise these products in Canada.
16. Electronic advertising of infant formula must comply with the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Such ads must reflect the use of infant formula as a supplement and not a replacement for mother's milk.
17. Electronic advertisements for dietary programs, nutritional supplements, nonconventional therapies or any other product or procedure that purports to promote health or cure disease will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
18. Other electronic advertisements (e.g., institutions, educational programs, lifestyle and consumer products) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
19. The CMA does not accept advertising for tobacco products or alcoholic beverages.

Educational grants and sponsorship

1. Commercial sponsorship for special publications (e.g., series, supplements, regular feature columns or electronic tables of contents), electronic collections of articles and other spinoff products (e.g., condition-specific Web sites or materials on CD-ROM), or for Web site development will be acknowledged as unrestricted educational grants.

   Sample wording:
   "This site/the online edition of CMA publication/this series/etc. is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Company X."

   "Produced by [CMA publication] through an unrestricted educational grant from [Company X]."

2. Corporate logos may accompany the acknowledgement of sponsorship, and may provide a link to a corporate Web site away from the CMA site. The viewer will be informed that by proceeding the viewer will be leaving the CMA site and that the CMA does not assume any responsibility for material on the linked site. Such links must permit the viewer to return to the CMA site.

3. The CMA will determine the final wording and placement of sponsor acknowledgements. The acknowledgement of online sponsorship will appear on the HTML pages only.

4. Acknowledgement of sponsorship will not make reference to supporting product(s).
   e.g., The following will not be permitted:
   "Produced through an unrestricted educational grant from [Company X], makers of product Y."

September, 2000