Corporate social responsibility of pharmaceutical industry
Building up a socially responsible company and branch is a long process. The societal impacts will become visible only in the course of time. Responsibility is something that must sustain, irrespective of governments, financial cycles, longer than one generation. It must hold through good times and bad.
Similar to many other branches and sectors, the pharmaceutical industry is regulated by several laws. However, we aim to go further than the laws since the pharmaceutical industry can only succeed if it takes good care of its personnel and environment and shows a responsible attitude towards its stakeholders.
Corporate financial responsibility also means being profitable and competitive. Therefore, PIF operations aim at improving the operating conditions of our members.
Membership in PIF is founded on the commitment to the ethical principles defined in our strategy:
- With their perseverance and long-term presence on the Finnish market, our member companies manage the pharmacovigilance issues impeccably.
- The PIF members commit themselves to jointly agreed themes, in their own operations and related communications.
- Both PIF and the members disseminate reliable and fact-based information.
The operations of PIF and the members are credible in the eyes of all major stakeholders.
Social responsibility across the board
The parent companies of the PIF members are active participants in many programmes, such as the WHO Access to Medicines project to promote the availability of medicines in the developing countries. The patent protection alleviations and more affordable medicine prices quoted for developing countries target the same objectives. Many international pharmaceutical companies are also involved in active R&D to develop medicines for tropical diseases such as malaria, typical of developing countries.
The PIF member companies shoulder their social responsibility in various additional ways by for example
- donating one day of their work to elderly care
- co-producing materials for sex information campaigns for the young
- participating in national nature conservation projects.
Several PIF member companies have ranked high in best employer competitions.
Pharmaceutical companies pay for statutory emergency supplies
Pharmaceutical companies are obliged to keep statutory stock in view of emergencies in Finland. The supply of vital medicines is thereby supplied in any exceptional circumstances that the country might face.
The statutory supply operations are inexpensive from society's perspective since the pharmaceutical industry bears most of the costs incurred.
Pharmaceutical branch exercises voluntary control over medicine marketing
The PIF Code of Ethics complements the control exercised by the authorities. The Code contains detailed provisions on the pharmaceutical marketing and information targeted at consumers and healthcare professionals.
The independent and impartial Supervisory Commission for the Marketing of Medicinal Products, as well as its Inspection Boards guide and control the application and compliance with the Code of Ethics.
Investment in doctors' further education
The PIF member companies make substantial annual investments in the further training and education offered to doctors. All training takes place within the framework set by the Code of Ethics.
The pharmaceutical companies develop the medicines and therefore also have the best and most updated information on new pharmacotherapies. A new medication can become available to a patient only if the attending doctor has updated competence and knowledge about different therapy options. The investment made by the pharmaceutical companies in training is important because the municipalities cannot afford to organise comprehensive and extensive further training for its medical staff.
The report from 2011 is enclosed.
Training of healthcare personnel in 2011.pdf
Pharmaceutical industry’s corporate social responsibility also on EU agenda
Launched on the initiative of EU Commissioner Antonio Tajani, responsible for industry and entrepreneurship, the main themes of the two-year project on corporate social responsibility of the pharmaceutical industry are
- transparency and codes of ethics
- access to medicines in Africa
- access to medicines in Europe
All major Directorates-General of the Commission and most EU Member States participate in the project, which also involves the central patient organisations, as well as the pharmaceutical industry and the pharmacy organisations.
PIF endorses this project and hopes for active participation of the Finnish government.