The order n.º 8213-B2013 passed on by the Cabinet of the Minister of Health with the purpose of establishing the General rules to govern the access of medical representatives (hereinafter referred to as "DIM") to the establishments and services of the national health service (hereinafter "NHS") as well as the respective contact with the employees of those services was published on the Portuguese Republic Official Gazette on June 24, 2013. 

The order aims to establish the balance between the promotion of information on medicinal and health products for the professionals that provide services in the NHS and the normal functioning of the said establishments. 

By create a system of accredited and scheduled access of the DIM to NHS establishments, the present order wants to ensure the greater effectiveness of the services involved without enabling health professionals the necessary access to the information on medicinal and health products. 

The access of the DIM to services and establishments of NHS, in the exercise of their professional activity, it will require a registration with INFARMED. The said registration must be promoted by (i) people authorized to place medicines in the market, (ii) responsible entities for placing health products on the market or (iii) the representatives appointed by the laboratories, to which the DIM are legally bound by contract. The registration of DIM is computerized and has to be made until January 31 of the year for which the access is required. 

The order also foresees the maximum of six to eight visits per year by each laboratory to NHS services and establishments depending on its capacity, size and rating. Each hospital service may only receive the visit of two DIM per day and the other NHS services and establishments may receive a daily visit of three DIM that cannot represent more than a laboratory. 

It is also foreseen that each DIM will not be able to visit per day more than eight health care professionals working in the services or establishments of the HNS. However, it is predicted the possibility of exceed this limit in case of collective information sessions arranged twice a year with a minimum of five health care professionals. 

The visits to the NHS services and establishments shall be scheduled between the responsible of the service or unit and the DIM. It is up to the responsible person to set the time and place of those visits. 

The violation by the DIM of the rules foreseen in this order may prevent the DIM and the laboratory he represents from visiting NHS establishments or services.