FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2009

Medical Conferences and Conventions Exempt from DC SafeRx Licensing Requirements

After lobbying efforts by the Washington, DC Hospitality Alliance, the District of Columbia Department of Health announced that pharmaceutical industry employees who travel to DC do not need to be licensed in the District to staff booths or speak at medical conferences and conventions. The clarification came in response to concerns raised by the SafeRx Amendment Act, a piece of legislation passed last year requiring employees of pharmaceutical manufacturers and labelers to obtain a license to call on clients in Washington, DC.

“We know that this legislation was not drafted with medical meetings and conventions in mind, and it’s important that our customers know that, too,” said Elliott Ferguson, Sr. VP, Convention Sales and Services, Destination DC. “With this formal clarification, DC officials have shown that they understand the economic benefits that medical meetings and conventions bring to the city.”

In response to concerns raised by Destination DC, the Washington Convention Center Authority and the Hotel Association of Washington, DC, as well as their members and clients, about the potential economic impact of the amendment on meetings and conventions in the District, the Department of Health issued a Notice of Final Rulemaking on April 17, narrowing the scope of license applicants to exclude convention attendees.

Since the amendment was passed, Destination DC has worked with the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Authority and the Hotel Association of Washington, DC to provide information and documentation to current clients and future business in Washington, DC.

For full details on the SafeRx Amendment Act and for information on the licensing procedure, visit http://hpla.doh.dc.gov/hpla/cwp/view,A,1195,Q,498669.asp.