Public Policy

Listed below as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency we state our positions on top political issues:

Market Access

In many countries market access to innovative medicines is often delayed or denied because of complex regulatory and reimbursement procedures. In practically all countries with price regulation, new medicines are not launched as long as reimbursement and pricing decisions are pending. There is a global trend that clinical guidelines and Health Technology Assessments (HTA) produced by health authorities or payers are often used as a mechanism to restrict access of patients to innovative medicines.

• More about our market access policy (PDF)

A Sustainable Healthcare System in Germany

In Germany, scarcely one legislative period passes without some striking regulatory change in the healthcare system. The government is confronted with rising costs of maintaining inhabitants’ health due to demographic change and medical progress. Despite major reforms, the overall cost of healthcare in Germany has been outgrowing the funding base for some time and is heavily dependent on the employment market situation. The fundamental challenge of how to finance the healthcare system in the future sustainably remains unsolved. In its present form, the German healthcare system shows basic structural and governance flaws which must be improved.

• More about our position on a sustainable healthcare system in Germany (PDF)

We work and cooperate with health policy experts and trade organizations on national and global scale, like the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries (EFPIA) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA):

• vfa (the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies)(external)
• European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)(external)
• International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA)(external)

In order to further the ethical conduct between the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare profession as well as patient organisations, industry codes have been implemented by the pharmaceutical industry associations on international, regional and national level.

Bayer Schering Pharma has committed itself to adhere in all its promotional activities to the rules/codes set by the following associations: The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and the Voluntary Self-regulation for the Pharmaceutical Industry eV.

The IFPMA Code of Marketing Practices

• More about the IFPMA Code

The European Code of Practice on Relationships between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Patient Organisation

• More about the EFPIA Code of Practice on Relationships between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Patient Organisation

The European Code of Practice on the Promotion of Medicines (EFPIA Code)

• More about the EFPIA Code

FSA Code of Conduct Patient Organisations

• More about the FSA Code of Conduct Patient Organisations

FSA Code of Conduct Healthcare Professionals

• More about the FSA Code of Conduct Healthcare Professionals

Bayer Code of Conduct Responsible Lobbying

• More about the Bayer Code of Conduct Responsible Lobbying (PDF, 40KB)