Responsibility

Pharmaceutical businesses can develop new treatments only if they can make a profit for their existing products. But the way medicines are marketed and sold is a sensitive area, and one that’s tightly regulated across the world.

We follow all the relevant sales and marketing guidelines in force in the markets we operate in, including, for example, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. These cover issues such as the sort of material that can be used in advertising, and how our sales representatives should behave. We also have extremely rigorous internal procedures governing the way we produce and issue marketing and promotional materials. One of our greatest strengths has always been the positive working relationships we have with the specialist physicians in our therapeutic areas. All our sales reps receive detailed training before they go into the field, and are supported on the job by our Global Medical Affairs department.