ASPS Advertising Policy

Advertisements in all ASPS publications are intended to offer reputable manufacturers and distributors of medical products and services an avenue for direct communication with members of the plastic surgery profession.

General Principles

• ASPS reserves the right to accept or reject or cancel any and all advertisements in its sole discretion.
• Advertisements shall not be deceptive or misleading and will not be accepted if they conflict with the Code of Ethics of ASPS or other appropriate Society policies.
• The acceptance or appearance of an advertisement in a Society publication does not imply or constitute Society endorsement of the product or service, the manufacturer or claims made for the product or service.
• Products or services accepted for advertising shall further the mission of ASPS which is to promote optimal care for plastic surgery patients through education, research and high professional standards, and to support its members' socioeconomic and professional activities.
• It is the responsibility of the advertiser to comply with all laws and regulations applicable to the marketing or sale of the products or services advertised.
• The following minimum criteria shall apply to all prospective advertisements.
  1. The products or services advertised shall be relevant to, effective in, and useful in the practice of plastic surgery, plastic surgery education, or health care delivery.
  2. The products or services advertised shall be commercially available.
  3. The FDA regulatory status of the advertised drug or device must be provided and disclosed in the advertisement. Advertisement for drugs, devices or other products that are subject to FDA regulation must comply with FDA regulations regarding advertising and promotion.
  4. All advertisements must be clearly identifiable to the reader as advertisements.
  5. Advertisements containing statistical statements or clinical studies for drugs, devices or other products must be based on studies by qualified individuals and contain appropriate citations.
  6. Scientific and technical data concerning the safety of a product may be required for review prior to acceptance of advertising.
  7. Research materials and/or other documents and data supporting the statements made in the advertisement may be required for review prior to acceptance of advertising.
  8. Products and services that lie outside these guidelines may be accepted for publication in the Society's sole discretion.
• Comparison Advertising – The Society will accept comparative advertising in its sole discretion. Such advertising will be strictly reviewed because of its potential to unfairly attack a competitor or mislead the profession or public.
• Equivalency of claims must be identified within the copy submitted and substantiation must be available on request.
• If equivalency is based on the advertiser's own research, that research must be available on request.
• Advertisements disparaging a competitor's product or service will not be accepted.
• Comparisons that are false, deceptive or misleading or that unfairly attack a competitor's product or service will not be accepted.
• Testimonials – Advertisements containing testimonials or those that quote the names, statements, or writings of any individual, public official, government agency, testing group, or other organization must be accompanied by a written consent for use from the quoted individual/entity.
• Unacceptable advertising:
  1. Advertising that conveys ethnic, religious, gender, or age bias or prejudice.
  2. Advertising that resembles editorial material in content and format.
  3. Advertising that highlights a scientific presentation sponsored by ASPS/PSEF that seeks to promote the technology, product or service of the advertiser and/or the business relationship between the advertiser and a program presenter.

Special Requirements

• Companies, individuals, or groups wishing to advertise must comply with the following:
  1. All requests must be submitted in writing.
  2. Any advertising requests made for the first time must include a copy of the current product/service literature with the original submission.
  3. The name of the official representative must be included with the original submission.
  4. The company/individual must be in good financial standing with ASPS (no outstanding bills/invoices).
• Advertisements for insurance coverage must be:
  1. Complete and truthful.
  2. Include full disclosure of expectations, exclusions, and limitations affecting the basic provisions of the policy.
  3. Meet the same standards set forth in I.H. if they contain testimonials.
  4. Include a statement indicating the availability of insurance coverage within the U.S. and abroad.

Technical Requirements

• The advertisement should clearly identify the advertiser of the product or service offered.
• Layout and format of advertising copy shall avoid confusion with editorial content and the word "advertisement" may be required to assure clarity.

Procedures

Display Advertising - for products and services

Advertising orders are accepted through michelle.smith@wolterskluwer.com and are subject to the terms of the current rate card. A signed insertion order is required prior to ad placement. Final art materials shall be submitted by closing date unless otherwise specified by the Society's Advertising Sales Representative. All cancellations must be received in writing prior to insertion order closing date or advertiser will be subject to penalty.

Should rates change, advertisers will be provided with 60 days notice. Advertising agency commission of 15% is discounted to advertisers with recognized advertising agencies. The Society's Advertising Sales Representative reserves the right to request payment in advance.

Positioning is at the sole discretion of the publisher and cannot be guaranteed.

Classified Advertising for Plastic Surgery News and/or the online Job Opportunity Board

Classified advertisements for PSN and/or the JOB are accepted from members of ASPS, as well as residents of approved training programs and institutions with which they are affiliated. Classified advertisements are also accepted from Physician Recruiters and non-members. All advertisements are subject to approval by the ASPS Associate Editor and staff. Editors do not investigate employment opportunities and assume no responsibility for them.

No text taken over the phone. ASPS reserves the right to edit copy for production purposes. All orders and inquiries are directed to the Society's Advertising Sales Representative at PSN@plasticsurgery.org Cancellations not accepted after closing date.

Accounting Policy for Plastic Surgery News

If an invoice remains unpaid for 60 days, the account will be turned over to the ASPS collection agency.

If the collection agency has been employed in the past, the advertiser may advertise under the following conditions:

• The costs of using the agency have been paid in full to ASPS.
• All advertisements are prepaid.

The Publisher's liability for any errors will not exceed the charge for the advertisement in question.