As a science-driven and values-based company, Amgen is committed to exchanging information with healthcare providers in an ethical and responsible way, and with the best interests of patients always in mind. The company has established mandatory standards that all Amgen staff members, consultants, contract workers, and temporary staff must follow when interacting with healthcare professionals and other customers. 

Amgen maintains collaborative relationships with healthcare professionals where appropriate in order to develop new products; determine appropriate and beneficial uses for products; support medical research and other educational, scientific and charitable activities; provide healthcare professionals and the public with information regarding the benefits and risks of Amgen’s products; and obtain feedback and advice about Amgen products from medical experts. Amgen requires that all interactions with healthcare professionals and other customers comply with applicable laws. Moreover, we seek to ensure that our interactions with healthcare professionals consistently meet or exceed industry guidelines.

In the United States, Amgen voluntarily complies with and fully supports the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America's (PhRMA) revised "Code on Interactions with U.S. Healthcare Professionals." The Code, which took effect in January 2009, provides firm guidance on such interactions including the use of promotional materials; grants and consulting arrangements; meals and entertainment; continuing medical education; clinical practice guidelines; and sales and marketing training for company representatives.

The following are some examples of Code provisions. (Amgen adheres to all the provisions of the Code, which is available in its entirety at www.phrma.org.)

• Never using non-educational “reminder” items (such as pens, mugs, or other items branded with a product or company logo). We will only distribute to healthcare professionals educational items that advance disease or treatment education and that are not of substantial value ($100 or less);
   
• Not offering meals to healthcare professionals, with the exception of modest meals offered as a business courtesy in conjunction with a presentation that provides scientific or educational information. The total annual limit for meals is $2,000 with a specific limit of $50 for an in-office or in-hospital meal and $125 for an out-of-office or out-of-hospital meal that may be provided to a medical or healthcare professional;
   
• Never offering or providing any entertainment or recreational items to any healthcare professional who is not a salaried employee of the company;
   
• Keeping Independent Medical Education (IME) grant-making functions separate from sales and marketing functions, never using the provision of IME funds to influence, advise or provide guidance, and never offering compensation to any healthcare professional for expenses or time spent in IME participation.

In May 2008, Amgen began posting on our public website the grants and charitable donations made by the Amgen Medical Education department (AmgenMED) and the Amgen Foundation. The donations lists are updated on a quarterly basis and can be viewed here.

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