Endorsement

In September 1980 the Executive said the Society would not endorse any particular product in relation to duty on imported wheelchairs.  The Ethical Committee received a number of enquires about product endorsement in 1989.  A motion to the 1990 annual general meeting recommended that “Product endorsement by individuals was inappropriate at this stage (1989) but the Committee considered that product endorsement by the Society could be ethically acceptable provided there were proper safeguards in the procedure for endorsement.”[1]  There was lengthy discussion on this,  Executive felt the Society did not have the facilities to carry out the proper safeguards at present.  It was moved in 1990 that “neither the Society nor its members can be associated with Product endorsement.[2]

Executive agreed that members should be encouraged to advise the Society of any advertisements which implied that the product was endorsed by a physiotherapist or the profession.  The Society would then contact the advertiser under the Fair Trading Act and request research material supporting the statement or the name of the physiotherapist quoted. 

M. Houlding tabled a draft discussion paper in 1990 which was sent to branches for discussion.

Erwin Drok stated in the Annual Report for 1991 that as practitioners changed from traditional service to a more entrepreneurial approach the rules may need to be changed.  The rules were amended to include the following Rule on Endorsement in 1991 “ Practitioners may not endorse a product,  whether remunerated or not.”

In March 1992 R.Jarmey of the Ethical Committee addressed the meeting about Rule 64 on Endorsement and advised that the Committee was looking at amending the Rule and issuing Guidelines.  In August 1992 a discussion document was tabled discussed and endorsed by Executive.  With a few amendments the document was now be forwarded to branches for consideration and comment,  it was decided that because of legal implications a decision would be delayed another year,  with discussions continuing in 1993.  Guidelines were covered in the draft Code of Ethics sent to all members in the December 1994 Newsletter.  The Code for Therapeutic Products was discussed in 1996,  when the NZPPA sent Executive a letter relating to the endorsement of products.

In November 1994 some members drew the Society’s attention to the AIT Physiotherapy School’s endorsement of a particular range of beds.  Executive discussed the research and testing programme done in Australia by Professor Patricia Trott and further enhanced by research conducted at the AIT School of Physiotherapy.  The subject of endorsement is covered in the draft Code of Ethics prepared by the Ethical Committee for circulation to all members in the December Newsletter.  In May 1996 the Ethical Committee had discussed the “Physiotherapy Bed” which was currently being advertised and wanted to know if the Society had been advised by the manufacturer and, if permission was given, to advertise and name it as the “Physiotherapy  bed”.   It was agreed that the Executive Officer contact AIT re background to this matter.  Legal advice is to be sought on whether the term “Physiotherapy”  is protected under legislation against use in advertising and naming of products without Society permission. 

In 1997 a letter from Frank Baarspul seeking NZSP endorsement for a Physiotherapy Pulley Type Stretching machine was discussed.  There was agreement that considerable research would need to be undertaken before endorsement could be considered by the Society.  In April 1997 a request for endorsement - “Eggsercizer” was considered.  It was agreed that this was not a suitable product for endorsement and also that this was not a role for the Society.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association reversed its previous policy of not endorsing products in 1999,  and established a process to evaluate requests for endorsement.  A copy was sent to NZSP with the rider “it is early days yet and the process will have ongoing review”  The NZSP Ethics Committee will continue to monitor  this move.

[1] Executive Minutes 3-3-89-

[2] Executive Minutes 2-9-90