The following three principles guide our approach to providing financial support to medical, scientific and patient organizations:

1) Independence

Merck respects the independence of medical, scientific and patient organizations and refrains from using our financial support to influence the policies of organizations or to promote specific medicines. To support independence, Merck will support only organizations that obtain funding from a variety of sources.

2) Transparency

Merck supports transparency of our interactions with medical, scientific and patient organizations including financial support that we provide them. We believe this is an important step in building public trust with both Merck and those with whom we provide support. Making public our support also enhances the visibility of Merck's commitment to help advance health and science.

3) Compliance with Local Laws

In providing financial support to medical, scientific and patient organizations, Merck will comply with all relevant local laws and regulations.

As part of our commitment to these principles, Merck regularly reviews and updates our Code of Conduct to reaffirm our mission and commitment to scientific excellence, ethics and integrity. These principles are also reflected in the Company's corporate policies, procedures and guidelines, which every Merck employee is responsible for understanding and appropriately applying.

Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement

Merck has been an active member in the working group to develop the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) Code of Practice on Relationships between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Patient Organisations, which became effective on July 1, 2008.

The content on this page was last modified on October 24, 2008.