Corporate Social Responsibility

Pharmaceutical companies make a huge contribution to supporting better health, sometimes on a national scale, through partnerships with the NHS, patient groups and charities, but, above all, in their local communities.

In addition, many companies focus on supporting education in the community. Scientists may make links with local schools, supporting science teaching in the school, or helping to provide specialist carers advice. In some instances support is targeted at encouraging young people to continue their education and achieve good qualifications.

In some instances support is targeted at encouraging young people to continue their education and achieve good qualifications.

Partnerships with universities exist to encourage young people to consider higher education.

These initiatives may involve large numbers of employees. in 2006, nearly 400 staff from one company lent their time and skills to more than 40 local organisations; another gave £120,000 to an educational charity working with disadvantaged young people.

The pharmaceutical industry is a key partner in fighting disease in developing countries, focusing, not just on the main killers: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, but on all aspects of healthcare. Companies sometimes provide medicines on a ‘not for profit’ basis; they provide funding for clinics to treat and care for children living with HIV; they work with medical charities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and, in other instances, they donate million pounds worth of medicines to help fight disease.