Doing Business with Us
As a public organization, Unity Health is accountable for all its procurement decisions. All vendor and supplier relationships at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital and Providence Healthcare are managed through our Supply Chain Department.
As per the Supplier Representatives and Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives Policies, all third-party suppliers must follow the steps below before coming to one of our sites. These are in place to ensure our patients’ and clients’ privacy, security and confidentiality are protected.
- Contact the Supply Chain Department at SupplyChain@unityhealth.to to register with Unity Health.
- Complete the vendor identification badge request form and submit it along with the receipt from the cash office to SupplyChain@unityhealth.to. Once you are in the barcode system, you will be notified when you can pick up your badge from the service desk on the 10th floor of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower at the St. Michael’s Hospital location.
- Book a meeting with the staff member or physician you would like to speak with before coming to a Unity Health location.
- Do not bring any product samples to the site, unless approved by the Supply Chain Department.
- Do not bring any sample medications to the site. (You can bring sample medications to our outpatient clinics, but only if you’ve booked a meeting with a staff member or physician before you arrive, and he or she requests a sample).
- Remain outside patient care areas.
- Maintain ongoing contact with the Supply Chain staff responsible for the procurement of your company’s products and contact them to discuss commercial opportunities.
Related: Standard Purchasing Terms and Conditions
Read Unity Health’s COVID-19 vaccination policy here.
To learn more about Unity Health’s Supplier Representatives Policy, review the FAQs below.
Please select a frequently asked question about the supplier representatives policy to read the answer.
The Supplier Representatives Policy was created to establish a consistent protocol governing interactions between third-party suppliers and Unity Health’s physicians and staff. The policy will ensure the network’s commercial interests are protected, while respecting patients’ and clients’ privacy, security and confidentiality.
Yes, pharmaceutical suppliers fall under this policy as well as the Pharmaceutical Representatives Policy which is aligned with this policy.
Yes, all suppliers and service or equipment maintenance staff must follow the policy.
If you interact with any staff member or physician at Unity Health, you must:
- Contact the Supply Chain Department SupplyChain@unityhealth.to to register with us.
- Obtain a network identification badge and wear it while on-site.
- Book a meeting with the Clinical Leader / Patient Care Manager, a physician or staff member from a program area before coming to a Unity Health location.
- Check in with the Clinical Leader / Patient Care Manager on the unit or at the physician’s office when you arrive.
- Do not bring any equipment samples to the site, unless approved by the Supply Chain Department.
- Remain outside of patient care areas.
- Maintain ongoing contact with the Supply Chain staff responsible for the procurement of your company’s products.
- Contact the Supply Chain Department to discuss commercial opportunities.
You need to email SupplyChain@unityhealth.to to register with Unity Health.
Email SupplyChain@unityhealth.to and you will be provided with an identification badge request form.
Once your completed form and receipt are received you will be put into our barcode system and will be notified you when you can pick up your badge. Badges are available at the service desk located on the 10th floor of the Peter Gilgan Tower of St. Michael’s Hospital. The desk is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Yes, your badge will be active in our system for two years. At the end of that time, you will need to renew your badge through the Supply Chain Department.
As per the Supplier Representatives and the Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives Polices, you are required to book a meeting before coming to any Unity Health location.
These policies have been introduced to govern the interactions between third-party suppliers and Unity Health staff, physicians and students to ensure the network’s commercial interests are protected, while respecting patients’ privacy, security and confidentiality.
If you don’t comply with the policy, you may be asked to leave the site and the Supply Chain Department may request that a new supplier representative be provided from your company
Yes, you must register with the Supply Chain Department SupplyChain@unityhealth.to This is necessary so we have your contact information and so we can co-ordinate your identification badge for you.
If you have already registered with the Supply Chain Department and obtained your badge, you can go directly to the area that requires your service. This information will be specified on the purchase order or service contract agreement provided to you by the Supply Chain Department.
That is fine, however you must co-ordinate this visit with the Clinical Leader / Patient Care Manager on the unit before you arrive on-site at a Unity Health location.
You also need to follow Unity Health’s dress code (i.e. lab coats in the laboratory and scrubs in perioperative services) and hand hygiene protocols before, during and after seeing a patient.
All products must be approved by the Supply Chain Department before they are brought to the site. If the department has approved an authorized a trial of your product, the goods must be delivered to the St. Michael’s Hospital Receiving Department instead of being brought in by you.
All drugs being considered for inpatient use require formal evaluation and approval by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. Consult the Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives Policy for more information on this.
Demonstration and distribution of products should be scheduled through the Supply Chain Department in conjunction with the respective clinical program’s Value Analysis Team. The program director must provide authorization in writing to the Supply Chain Team.
Yes, but the Supply Chain Department must approve the trial before any products can be provided to a Unity Health location.
You must provide appropriate documentation, such as a Health Canada medical device license, to the Supply Chain Department. The department will review the documentation and notify you in writing if your request has been approved. A trial purchase order will be required and all goods must come through the St. Michael’s Hospital Receiving Department.
No, all commercial discussions must happen with the Supply Chain Department.
Please select a frequently asked question about Unit Health’s Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives to read the answer.
The Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives Policy aligns with Unity Health’s Supplier Representatives Policy and sets the same expectations around how staff, physicians, students and pharmaceutical suppliers must interact while on-site.
If you interact with any staff member or physician at Unity Health, you must:
- Contact the Supply Chain Department SupplyChain@unityhealth.to to register at a Unity Health location.
- Obtain an identification badge and wear it while on-site.
- Book a meeting with the staff member you would like to speak to before coming to the site.
- Do not bring any drug samples to the site.
- Remain outside of patient care areas, unless you visit a clinic after hours or there are no patients present.
- Not access any patient’s personal health information.
- Not promote or provide any information related to your products to staff or students, except in a scheduled educational session. A clinician from Unity Health to be there as well.
- Only attend teaching rounds and other educational events that do not contain confidential patient information. You must be invited by a physician or employee at the location.
- Only provide patient education materials related to pharmaceutical products to staff, physicians and students, not patients.
- Provide any presentation materials to the clinician you are working with, for their review, at least two weeks before the education session.
- Maintain ongoing contact with the Supply Chain staff responsible for the procurement of your company’s products.
- Contact the Supply Chain Department to discuss commercial opportunities.
You need to email SupplyChain@unityhealth.to to register at a Unity Health location.
Email SupplyChain@unityhealth.to and you will be provided with an identification badge request form.
Once your completed form and receipt are received you will be put into our barcode system and will be notified you when you can pick up your badge. Badges are available at the service desk located on the 10th floor of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower of St. Michael’s Hospital. The desk is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Yes, your badge will be active in our system for two years. At the end of that time, you will need to renew your badge through the Supply Chain Department.
As per the Interactions with Pharmaceutical Representatives and the Supplier Representatives Polices, you are required to book a meeting before coming to a Unity Health site.
These policies have been introduced to govern the interactions between third-party suppliers and Unity Health staff, physicians and students to ensure the network’s commercial interests are protected, while respecting patients’ privacy, security and confidentiality.
If you don’t comply with the policy, you may be asked to leave the site and the Supply Chain Department may request that a new supplier representative be provided from your company.
All drugs being considered for inpatient use require formal evaluation and approval by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. This process is in place to ensure precautions are taken to mitigate any risks and educational requirements are addressed.
Yes, but only if an employee or physician from the network approaches you about sponsoring an event. You should only be involved with the logistical support, such as arranging a venue or the printing of brochures for the event.
Yes, however the network would prefer that you send the money to the department and they will determine when / what food is to be booked.
No, all commercial discussions must happen with the Supply Chain Department. No commercial discussions regarding medications should occur until medication has been approved for use by Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee.
Last updated July 19, 2023