.Managing regulatory compliance
As heightened regulatory scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry grows increasingly global, sales and marketing practices, as well as privacy of patient and customer information, have emerged as targets for the most intense focus. Recent highly visible investigations and aggressive prosecutions regarding global compliance violations have resulted in significant financial judgments against leading pharmaceutical companies and subsequent criminal convictions, not only in the United States but also in Indonesia, China and Poland.
Other countries, including Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, are investigating the activities of pharmaceutical companies or negotiating settlements for compliance violations. Such compliance missteps could lead consumers to question whether the pharmaceutical industry has lost track of its original vision to advance and improve the human condition.