Table 1. Summary of NICE COI Code of Practice as it relates to clinical guidelines.

Definition of types of COI
personal pecuniary interest involves a current (within the last 12 months) personal payment, which may either relate to the manufacturer or owner of a product or service being evaluated, in which case it is regarded as ‘specific’ or to the industry or sector from which the product or service comes, in which case it is regarded as ‘non-specific’.
A non-personal pecuniary interest involves payment or other benefit that benefits a department or organisation for which an individual has managerial responsibility, but which is not received personally. This may either relate to the product or service being evaluated, in which case it is regarded as ‘specific,’ or to the manufacturer or owner of the product or service, but is unrelated to the matter under consideration, in which case it is regarded as ‘non-specific’.
A personal non-pecuniary interest in a topic under consideration might include, but is not limited to: i) a clear opinion, reached as the conclusion of a research project, about the clinical and/or cost effectiveness of an intervention under review; ii) a public statement in which an individual covered by this Code has expressed a clear opinion about the matter under consideration, which could reasonably be interpreted as prejudicial to an objective interpretation of the evidence; iii) holding office in a professional organisation or advocacy group with a direct interest in the matter under consideration; iv) other reputational risks in relation to an intervention under review.
A personal family interest relates to the personal interests of a family member and involves a current payment to the family member of the employee or member. The interest may relate to the manufacturer or owner of a product or service being evaluated, in which case it is regarded as ‘specific’, or to the industry or sector from which the product or service comes, in which case it is regarded as ‘non-specific’.
Declaration of COI
The chair and members of the guideline development group (GDG) need to declare any COI on appointment to the GDG, annually and at each guideline development group meeting.
Action to be taken in response to COI:
At appointment to GDG
The chair the GDG must divest him/herself from any personal pecuniary interest on appointment, or as soon as practicable afterwards.
At GDG meetings
Personal specific pecuniary interest: Declare and withdraw.
Personal non-specific pecuniary interest: Declare and participate (unless, exceptionally, the chair rules otherwise).
Personal family specific interest: Declare and withdraw.
Personal family non-specific interest: Declare and participate (unless, exceptionally, the chair of the advisory body rules otherwise).
Non-personal specific pecuniary interest: Declare and participate, unless the individual has personal knowledge of the intervention or matter either through his or her own work, or through direct supervision of other people’s work. In either of these cases he or she should declare this interest and not take part in the proceedings except to answer questions.
Non-personal non-specific pecuniary interest: Declare and participate (unless, exceptionally, the chair of the advisory body rules otherwise).
Personal specific pecuniary interest: Declare and withdraw.
Personal non-specific pecuniary interest: Declare and participate (unless, exceptionally, the chair rules otherwise).
Personal specific non-pecuniary interest: Declare—action is at discretion of the chair.