ABPI "admonishes" Servier and Shire

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's Code of Practice was breached by UK drugmaker Shire and Servier Laboratories, the local subsidiary of France's Servier Research Group, according to a statement by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, which polices the ABPI's Code.

Servier was judged to have breached the Code by "using inappropriate material when training representatives on how to target hospital staff." The offences deemed to have been commited by the firm involved clause 2 "bringing disrepute upon, or reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry;" clause 9.1 "failing to maintain a high standard;" and clause 15.9 "failing to make available appropriate briefing material to instruct representatives on how to engage with health professionals."

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