The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) Code of Practice was first created in 1981 and is part of a decades-long commitment to promoting ethical practices in the pharmaceutical industry. The goal is to ensure that practices in the pharmaceutical industry are governed by ethical standards in line with societal expectations.

The Code has been revised six times since its inception. The current IFPMA Code of Practice came into effect on 1st January 2019, with the following changes compared to previous versions:

• Updates to several sections, including the introduction of a ban on gifts and promotional aids (for Rx based medicines).
• The development of an IFPMA Ethos, marking a shift from a rules-based to a values-based Code.

Abidance to the Code is mandatory for IFPMA members.