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LONDON (Alliance News) - GlaxoSmithKline PLC confirmed that it was investigating allegations of misconduct in its Jordan and Lebanon operations in a statement Wednesday, the latest in a series of mounting investigations across its business.
The pharmaceutical giant is currently investigating similar claims in Poland and Iraq, and continues to face ongoing probes from Chinese authorities over claims that Glaxo executives had been involved in payments of up to USD500 million to doctors and hospital executives over the past six years.
Glaxo said that it was investigating allegations relating to a small number of individuals in its Jordan and Lebanon offices, and that the investigations are not yet concluded.
"We have zero tolerance for unethical or illegal behaviour. We expect our employees to uphold our high standards and we believe the vast majority do so," the company said in a statement.
Glaxo said that there had been 161 violations relating to breaches of its sales and marketing policies last year, which had resulted in 48 dismissals and 113 written warnings. It noted that these numbers were similar to those reported by other companies in its sector.
"However, we recognise there are concerns regarding interactions between pharmaceutical companies and doctors, particularly related to perceptions of conflicts of interest," the company said in a statement. Glaxo once again highlighted that it is rolling out changes to its sales practices.
Glaxo is dropping individual sales targets and stopping incentives for healthcare professional for speaking engagements or attending conferences. It expects these reforms to be rolled out worldwide by 2016.
Shares in Glaxo were trading down 0.1% at 1,546.5 pence.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; hanassmith@alliancenews.com; @HanaSSAllNews
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