ABPI suspends Abbott over code of practice contraventions
Abbott Laboratories Ltd has been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for at least six months. Abbott will have to undergo an audit of its ABPI Code of Practice compliance procedures before readmission.
The suspension was imposed after the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice
Authority heard anonymous complaints about inappropriate hospitality
in 2004 involving two trips to greyhound racing events for 63 health
professionals, a visit to a lap-dancing club for one doctor, invitations
to senior hospital consultants to attend the Wimbledon Tennis Championships
and a hospital department Christmas dinner.
In each case, Abbott told the PMCPA that the staff involved, including
the general manager responsible for the Wimbledon invitations, had left
the company. It claimed that their actions did not reflect any deficiency
in the company’s culture or processes.
After publication of the inquiries in the PMCPA’s February 2006
code of practice review, Abbott said: “Abbott requires its employees
to abide by the company’s high standards outlined in its code of
conduct. The company’s office of ethics and compliance conducts
a prompt and thorough investigation into all allegations of inappropriate
activity or behaviour. The company has a zero tolerance policy for behaviours
that breach the company’s code of conduct. Sanctions are taken,
including termination, if violations are found.
“The allegations made during this case relate to the individual
actions of a small number of employees in 2004. Abbott conducted a thorough
investigation
and as a result, these employees either resigned or had their employment
terminated.”
Suspension of ABPI membership is a severe sanction and Abbott is only
the fourth company ever to have faced it. Previous suspensions were of
Bayer in 1986, and Duphar and Fisons in 1994.
No company has ever been expelled from the ABPI.
In another case, GlaxoSmithKline has been given a public reprimand for
failing to comply with an undertaking it gave the PMCPA after being found
guilty of making an unfair claim of superiority for Avandamet (rosiglitazone)
compared with sulphonylureas in promotional material. The amended material
had made an even more unfair claim. Issuing the reprimand, the ABPI management
board said that compliance with undertakings was essential if self-regulation
was to be
effective. |
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