Ethics Policy & Procedure

POLICY STATEMENT

The Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt business development association formed to promote, develop, and educate, member companies of the pharmaceutical, chemical, nutritional and related industries. DCAT’s principal membership class consists of corporations, individuals, and other entities engaged in pharmaceutical, chemical, nutritional and related industries. The business of the association is managed under the direction of the DCAT board of directors. DCAT’s code of ethics serves as a code of conduct for any association officer, director, volunteer and employee. Code violations may result in sanctions imposed under the Procedures for Review of the Code of Ethics. The principles and requirements that comprise the code and procedures are based on and are designed to ensure full compliance by DCAT and its officers, directors, volunteers and employees with the fiduciary duties imposed on such individuals by state corporate law, the federal tax code's prohibition on private benefit, and other requirements of federal tax exemption, common law due process requirements, federal and state antitrust and unfair competition law, state tort law, and other legal precepts and prohibitions. At the same time, the code and procedures are not designed to supplant courts of law in the resolution of disputes within the members’ industry. Moreover, the checks and balances built into the code and procedures are designed to strike the proper balance between ensuring full compliance with the legal obligations described here and ensuring the integrity and efficacy of the code on the one hand and, on the other, the protection of officers, directors, volunteers and employees, through the use of reasonable due process procedures, against patently false, malicious, or groundless accusations that could result in significant business or personal harm if not properly handled. Officers, directors, volunteers and employees affirm their endorsement of the code and acknowledge their commitment to uphold its principles and obligations by accepting and retaining membership as a volunteer leader.

PROCEDURE

• This Code of Ethics in its written form shall pertain to all DCAT member company representatives and others who assume a leadership role in the organization by election or appointment to the Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, the chair or vice chair of one of the committees of DCAT, or a person selected to lead in the management of a program, activity or initiative. The Code of Ethics shall also apply to all employees of the association.
• Persons interested in a leadership position, or are nominated for such, shall be advised by the executive director of the Code of Ethics so they may review it.
• Prior to, or immediately upon, election or appointment, the executive director shall provide a document containing the Code of Ethics to each person for his or her signature. Each person will be required to sign and return that document within thirty (30) days of election or appointment.
• The executive director will notify the president of any person(s) who does not sign the document within the prescribed time.
• If a person fails to sign and return the Code of Ethics within the allotted time, he or she will not be entitled to participate in the position to which her or she has been elected or appointed until a copy of the Code of Ethics signed by that person is received by the executive director. If a signed copy of the Code of Ethics has not been received by the executive director within sixty (60) days, the person shall, by operation of the bylaws, be automatically removed from his or her leadership position.
• Person(s) assuming a leadership role are required to sign the Code of Ethics document at the beginning of their tenure. However, should any changes be made to the policy and Code of Ethics, person(s) will be asked to sign any updated document.

View DCAT Code of Ethics