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The positive effect our medicines
have on people’s lives is one of the factors that motivates
our employees. The nature of what we do gives them the opportunity
to make a difference to the health of millions of people around
the world.
CHANGING EXPECTATIONS
With advances in medicine, society has changed its expectations
of healthcare. Diseases that once had a devastating impact are now
controlled through improved healthcare management and with better
medicines and vaccines. This has led many people in the developed
world to take good health for granted.
For example, a generation ago polio was one of the
world’s most feared infectious diseases. Thanks to the worldwide
vaccination initiative co-ordinated by the World Health Organization2
and to the major contribution of our vaccines business, the global
elimination of polio is in sight.
In developed countries, because of the availability
of effective antibiotics and vaccines, we no longer expect our children
to be at risk from infectious diseases. The challenge is to extend
these advances to developing countries.
The number of diseases where research has produced
major advances continues to grow. However, there is still much to
do. The challenge for our company is to continue to meet society’s
expectations by developing innovative medicines that enable people
to live longer and healthier lives.
ACCESS TO MEDICINES
We also want to play a part in improving the healthcare
of people who currently have limited access to our medicines. Our
programmes in developing countries are set out in Medicines
for the developing world.
In the US, we are helping to improve access to medicines
for low-income senior citizens and the disabled who lack prescription
drug coverage through public or private insurance programmes. In
late 2001, GSK launched the Orange CardSM, which offers savings
on the company’s prescription medicines. This was the first
programme of its kind in the US, with participants required simply
to present the card to their pharmacists to receive the savings.
In addition, last year GSK’s Patient Assistance Program provided
medicines worth over £112 million to more than 400,000 low
income patients in the US who do not have medical insurance.
Following the positive response to the Orange Card
3 from patients, doctors, and
companies, GSK and six other pharmaceutical companies launched a
joint scheme in 2002. The Together Rx™ Card 4
provides eligible senior citizens and the disabled in the US with
a single, easy-to-use card to receive savings on the prescription
medicines of the seven companies involved.
These programmes are having a real impact on the
lives of disadvantaged people across the US.
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