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Marketing ethics

GSK markets its medicines to doctors, hospitals and governments. In some countries, such as the US and Japan, we also advertise medicines directly to consumers.

Our specialist sales representatives meet regularly with doctors and pharmacists to inform them about our medicines and their approved uses.

We believe that our sales representatives play an important role in providing up-to-date information to doctors on our products and their benefits to patients. However, we recognise that the marketing of pharmaceutical products raises some challenging issues. In particular, some people are concerned that marketing by pharmaceutical companies exerts undue influence on doctors, that sales representatives do not always give doctors full information about potential side effects, or that promotion for unapproved uses may be common despite increased compliance training and monitoring activity and oversight by governments.

The sale and promotion of pharmaceutical products is highly regulated by governments and medical agencies. Several governments are extending legislation in this area. For instance, in the US, there are 39 proposed laws pending in 20 state legislatures that could require pharmaceutical companies to restrict or report on interactions with doctors.

All GSK employees must also comply with our Marketing codes of practice and our policies governing consumer advertising. These codes require that marketing be based on valid scientific evidence, be consistent with national prescribing documentation, and comply with the law. During 2005 we have updated and strengthened our policies and procedures.

Sales and marketing employees receive training to ensure they have a good understanding of our marketing policies and the legal framework governing their sales activities. We also have programmes to monitor compliance, including in some regions feedback from doctors on our sales practices.

In 2005, GSK was rated third in a survey of French doctors conducted by Insemma Marketing Research Institute that assessed how well 26 pharmaceutical companies comply with the industry marketing code.

Doctors are noticing that GSK is taking a leadership stance in the areas of gifts and entertainment in particular. Reactions vary from “well done GSK for setting a good example that others in the industry should follow” (the majority reaction) to “if you won’t pay for my spouse to travel, I’ll go with another company who will” (the minority reaction). In one particular case in the UK recently, GSK offered to sponsor a doctor to attend a congress. He asked for GSK to pay for his wife to accompany him to the congress. The GSK manager refused the request, as this is contrary to our marketing code of practice. The doctor was sponsored by another company to attend the congress.

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