Abbot Laboratories suspended from ABPI

Maidenhead based Abbot Laboratories has been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) for six months.

Complaints made to the ABPI in 2005 allege that the firm provided “inappropriate hospitality” for health professionals during meetings held two years ago.

The industry body decided to suspend the company, under an ABPI Code of Practice clause that prohibits behaviour which could discredit the pharmaceutical industry.

However, it acknowledged that Abbot’s current management had taken steps to stop the breaches from happening again and had already conducted its own audit into its procedures. The employees involved have also left the firm and another audit will take place in May.

“The pharmaceutical industry strives to maintain the highest possible ethical standards in all its dealing with healthcare professionals,” said ABPI president Vincent Lawton.

“The breaches that have been identified are viewed in a very serious light, and this is reflected in the suspension – a sanction that we have not needed to apply for many years.”

He added that Abbott’s action and understanding of the complaint’s seriousness was “reassuring”.

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