Code of Conduct

World Federation of Neurology Mission Statement

To improve human health worldwide by promoting prevention and the care of persons with disorders of the entire nervous system by:

• Fostering the best standards of neurological practice
• Educating, in collaboration with neuroscience and other international public and private organisations
• Facilitating research through its Specialty Groups and other means.

The WFN’s relationship with its industrial partners and other potential partners

• Relationships between the WFN and its industrial and any other potential partners is to be based on equal partnership. Both the WFN and partners will work together on policy development and practical initiatives, in the interests of all the member organisations.
• Successful partnerships are those where both partners gain by making the effort to understand the internal culture and external pressures of the other
• The WFN recognises that its industrial partners have to be profitable and have their own commercial agendas to which the WFN is not obliged to conform. Funding will be declined if its application compromises the independence of the WFN in any way

Funding

• In addition to the need for WFN independence to be maintained, the WFN will use available funding so long as there is no conflict of interest and as long as the relationship with the funder is totally transparent. Contracts between the parties help in this respect
• The WFN will not participate in relationships designed to give one company competitive advantage over another and favours the use of funding consortia of two or more companies from the same or other industries
• Joint research initiatives must ensure that independence is not unwittingly eroded
• The WFN itself accepts funding from its industrial partners when:
  • It believes it will benefit the WFN’s mission
  • It is satisfied that accepting the funds will not court adverse publicity
  • The funder does not try to coerce or over-influence WFN’s policy either explicitly or implicitly
  • The details of WFN’s funding and its sources are described in the Audited Report and Accounts to be found via the Charity Commission Website at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission ⧉
• The WFN expects its funders to adhere to relevant company, national and international codes of conduct, including the publication of their support for the WFN

Product Endorsement

• The WFN’s name must not be used to imply approval or endorsement of any of the funder’s products
• The WFN encourages research into new treatments and the better application of existing therapies. However, it endorses no individual treatment over others
• The WFN encourages active partnership between patient, carer and health professional and discussion of all available options to promote informed choice by the patient
• Where medication exists in more than one version we encourage the use, in communications by the WFN with patients, of either the scientific name or the several different brand names. Publications should show impartiality
• The WFN supports the proper licensing of medicines and believes that the marketing of non-drug treatments to the public requires similar rules and standards.