Medical practitioners professional law

The professional codes of conduct for doctors, dentists and pharmacists standardise the respective professional duties. They concern general ethical requirements, duties towards patients and rules on the respective professional practice, professional co-operation, professional practice associations, the employment of professionals, professional communication and the limits of permissible advertising. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the rules for safeguarding medical and dental independence when working with third parties (other doctors and dentists, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, etc.), in particular the problem of so-called “kick-backs”, which has now been supplemented by standards under criminal law relating to corruption. Violations of professional duties can be sanctioned in isolation, but also in addition to criminal penalisation. They can also have consequences under administrative law, including the withdrawal of a licence to practise.