We introduce a medicine to the market only if we believe it addresses unmet patient needs. Once a product is approved for use, we communicate its benefits and risks; market it in compliance with our code of business conduct, company policies, and applicable legal requirements; and closely monitor results.
Providing trusted and timely information about our products is a vital part of our engagement with customers. Patients and prescribers need to navigate complex medical information to understand the benefits and risks of a medicine for a particular individual and condition, compared to alternative treatments.
Purchasers of health care services and regulators need the same kind of information to provide a macro view of patient populations needs. Our understanding of a drug’s efficacy and safety can change over time as a result of additional research and real-world clinical experience, so our customers need to receive regularly updated information.
We communicate product information to our customers in several ways. These include: direct interaction between our sales representatives and prescribers and payers; information provided to patients and physicians through the medicine’s package label and inserts; product websites; and in some markets, direct-to-consumer advertising. All communications about our products are reviewed and approved internally before use. Some communications, such as advertising, are also reviewed by regulators.
We support the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and its revised Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals which sets a new standard for appropriate sales and marketing practices. We also maintain compliance programs tied to a Corporate Integrity Agreement.
