• We provide consumers with accurate and clear information about our medicines and the conditions/diseases those medicines treat in a straightforward and responsible manner
• We remind patients of the necessity of talking with their doctors because only their doctors know which treatment is appropriate for them
• We provide an appropriate balance between benefit and risk information and clear communication of such information so patients can have better-informed conversations with their doctors
• We provide information on patient assistance programs, including Medicare Part D

As a leader in the US pharmaceutical industry, we believe it is our responsibility to foster a constructive, open, and informed dialogue between patients and physicians. Our willingness to listen, together with the appropriate use of consumer marketing and responsible communication with key stakeholders, is vital to our ongoing commitment to improving the health and quality of life of patients.

Consumer marketing

At AstraZeneca, we believe that consumer marketing, when done appropriately, can shift the healthcare emphasis toward prevention and early treatment by enabling access to health information and encouraging patients and family members to ask informed questions of their physicians. Through the information we provide in our consumer marketing, we hope to enable patients and their caregivers to make important choices and sustain lifestyle changes that result in greater health.

Like other pharmaceutical companies, we distribute information through a variety of consumer marketing channels, including magazines, newspapers, television, and the Internet. Our intent is to better inform consumers about medical conditions, treatment options, and proper use of our products.

A continual process of listening to and learning from consumers, caregivers, physicians, healthcare professionals, and policymakers has strengthened the conviction of AstraZeneca that accurate, balanced, and timely information about our prescription medicines and the conditions they treat is essential to putting patient health first.

Patient safety remains our top priority, and we are committed to regular assessment of our sales and marketing efforts to ensure that we are effective, ethical, and compliant with all laws, regulations, and our own high standards. AstraZeneca US works closely with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to establish ethical practices across the industry, and we employ both industry-wide standards and our own policies to guide our sales and marketing conduct.

In August 2005, we adopted PhRMA’s Guiding Principles for Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements About Prescription Medicine as a supplement to our own consumer marketing guidelines. As a result, all of our television advertisements are educational in content and serious in tone. AstraZeneca is also the first company to use all televised product advertising to provide patient assistance information for those unable to afford our medicines. In addition all advertising is reviewed by senior management for compliance with above guidelines and principles prior to distribution.

However, we view industry standards as a floor, not a ceiling. When we see a need for even stricter policies or guidelines, we call for them. For example, in November, we proposed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adopt a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical companies to submit all consumer advertising to the FDA’s Division of Drug Marketing and Communication for review prior to its use.

Marketing to healthcare practitioners

At AstraZeneca, the foundation of our marketing efforts is the principle that a healthcare practitioner’s care should be based solely on the patient’s medical needs and that professional’s medical knowledge and experience. Our job is not only to develop products to better serve public health but also to deliver information that allows healthcare professionals to provide the best care for their patients.

As such, we are committed to providing healthcare practitioners with important information about our products. We aim to conduct these efforts, in addition to our relationships with healthcare practitioners, in an ethical manner that is consistent with our internal ethical standards, as well as in full compliance with the laws and regulations that govern the healthcare community in the United States.

We instituted vendor training as a means to ensure appropriate interactions with healthcare practitioners and established a monitoring program by through our Compliance and Ethics Leaders. Our Global Internal Audit group conducts audits of Privacy of Marketing data. These programs support our other systems in place for identification and discipline of breaches.

Ethical marketing practices

We make it a priority to provide objective, balanced information about our products that complies with federal regulations and conforms to the full FDA-approved prescribing information. Most importantly, we do not disclose or otherwise use the personal health information of our consumers without their consent.

We comply with the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. PhRMA adopted this code in 2002 to ensure that interactions between research-based pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers are conducted in an ethical and responsible manner.

To assist with internal enforcement of our ethical standards, we operate a Policy Action Line. Employees with questions about AstraZeneca policies and practices can speak with compliance and ethics leaders who deliver comprehensive guidance regarding the proper pursuit of business objectives. Our Code of Conduct Helpline also helps encourage ethical business practices.

To ensure understanding of all policies and guidelines all sales and marketing employees and external resource personnel (ERP) are required to complete annual training on our Code of Conduct and marketing- and sales-related AstraZeneca business policies.