Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery
Commitment, principles & goals
Merck does not tolerate bribery, extortion or corruption. We are expressly committed to fighting bribery, extortion and corruption across the globe. The primary policy document for this topic is the Code of Conduct mentioned under Principles 1 and 2.
Implementation
The Code of Conduct has been applied within Merck through the compliance management and the internal compliance training described under Principles 1 and 2.
Adopted at the end of 2012, Merck’s Global Business Partner Risk Management Policy now constitutes a fundamental component of the selection process for business partners, along with their overall assessment. Merck's Global Business Partner Risk Management aims to ensure that business partners are selected diligently in order to minimize the danger of adverse legal, reputational, and financial effects. This process is especially concerned with fighting corrupt practices
In addition, several internal guidelines were adopted at the end of 2013, which regulate how Merck employees in Pharmaceuticals interact with medical professionals and other representatives of the healthcare sector. These guidelines focus particularly on ensuring that all payments are of legitimate cause and are never made in exchange for prescribing Merck products. The guidelines are supported by a modern electronic compliance management system in which interactions with medical professionals and other representatives of the healthcare sector are proposed, approved, documented, published and monitored.
Our suppliers are subject to the supplier management process that is likewise mentioned there.
Gauging the results
In order to monitor and assess adherence to the Code of Conduct both within the Merck Group as well as at our suppliers, we conduct the audits mentioned under Principles 1 and 2; we have furthermore implemented a speak-up line for employees to report compliance violations. In 2013, 30 internal audits were carried out specifically to check for corruption.
Merck – further information:
This document only contains the Merck Group's key 2013 figures (unless otherwise indicated) that are relevant for the progress report on the UN Global Compact. Data from previous years can be found in our Corporate Responsibility Report 2012 and on the Merck Group website.
Merck is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors. With its four divisions Merck Serono, Consumer Health, Performance Materials, and Merck Millipore, Merck generated total revenues of € 11.1 billion in 2013. Around 38,000 Merck employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to further the success of customers and to help meet global challenges. Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company – since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70% interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. Merck, headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the company is known as EMD.