The worldwide pharmaceutical footprint is indeed a big one and countless companies are staking their claim as not only the biggest financial player in the field but the best as it pertains to social impact and doing more for humanity in general. In recent years, organizations of all types, including those in pharmaceuticals, have been much more active in their communities and globally, by volunteering time, money, and effort for causes not only inside, but outside of their specific industry – and people are taking notice.
If you’re interested in working for a pharmaceutical company that’s dedicated to making a positive impact, you are more than welcomed to. Pharmaceutical sales jobs are available at these companies and landing one is a great way to ensure a great career with an organization that cares about much more than their bottom line.
So, what are some of these companies and what exactly are they doing?
The Impact-Makers
Allergan
Focused on corporate citizenship by leveraging science and innovation and making a positive impact describes Allergan’s stance on social responsibility. According to their website, at Allergan, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is more than just a good idea. The company maintains some of the highest CSR standards in the industry, focusing their efforts on sustainability initiatives in the areas of energy use, environmental protection, and employee health and safety.
Employees around the world are encouraged to “think local,” to develop innovative programs that respond to the needs and concerns of local communities, and continuing broader efforts to create a greener, healthier environment.
Additionally, Allergan is one of only a handful of pharmaceutical companies to be a part of the United Nations Global Compact, which sets important guidelines in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. The company supports local and regional chambers of commerce, community not-for-profit organizations, disaster relief organizations, sports and recreation organizations, and organizations that drive social causes aligned with their core businesses.
GlaxoSmithKline
As the world’s sixth-largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline has made a calculated bet on intellectual property leniency in poor nations. In March of 2016, GSK announced that it will no longer file drug patents in the lowest-income regions of the world — an integral part of its patient access strategy. While this may lower prices and depress revenue, the company says it doesn’t lose money in any market where it operates (Time). Over time, this approach will build goodwill and a strong market presence around the globe.
The company is hardly a passive partner in poorer regions, and GSK reinvests 20% of any profits it makes in the least-developed countries into training health workers and building medical infrastructure. As Time notes, for instance, through a partnership with the NGO Save the Children, the drug maker has trained locals to properly administer vaccinations and screen for conditions like malnutrition. ViiV Healthcare, an HIV therapy unit majority owned by GSK, struck a landmark deal with the government of Botswana in June to make the HIV drug Tivicay available as part of a national program to test and treat as many people as possible. The company has also strengthened its commitment to vaccine development, including the world’s first malaria vaccine, which could curb a disease that kills more than half a million people a year.
Gilead Sciences
In India, a 28-day supply of a generic version of the hepatitis C cure, Sovaldi, now costs just $100, according to Gilead and as reported in Time. That’s because the company struck deals with 11 different Indian generic drug makers to supply affordable versions of its hep C drugs to patients in 101 developing countries. In Egypt, the nation with the highest incidence of hepatitis C in the world, more than 10% of the population is infected and Gilead slashed the price of branded Sovaldi there by 99%. These lower prices are a far cry from the drug that once had a price tag so high it was known as the “$1,000 pill.”
The firm takes a similar approach to its HIV franchise, which has posted strong sales in recent earnings reports. In fact, 2016 is the 10-year anniversary of Gilead’s HIV licensing agreements in the developing world, and the company says it’s on the cusp of having 10 million people in poor countries treated with its HIV drugs (Time).
Amgen
Making a positive difference in the world is at the heart of what Amgen does—and it goes beyond making vital medicines. The company is also serious about giving back and contributing to make a difference wherever it can and each year, Amgen and its staff members dedicate significant resources towards building a better tomorrow.
For example, Amgen Asia’s annual R&D Impact Day makes a positive difference in the lives of students at impoverished schools in China, where most of the students the volunteers visit are orphans or children who have limited access to the outside world. During their visit, volunteers spend time with the children and teach short lessons.
Environmentally, Amgen has arrived at an exciting point of maturity for green building design and construction. They have tested practices both in the renovation of existing buildings and in new construction and are quite proud of their success, with three buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, one at LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental and Design) Platinum, one at LEED Gold, and another at LEED Certified (Amgen).
Amgen commits significant financial support and product donations to help make a difference in many people’s lives. Amgen’s corporate giving initiatives are very diverse: research grants and fellowships, medical education grants, donations of cash, product and equipment, community involvement through corporate sponsorships and cash donations as well as volunteerism by staff members. In addition, the Amgen Foundation gives grants and matches staff donations to eligible non-profits (Amgen).
If you’re interested in a career within the pharmaceutical sales industry and are passionate about doing more and bigger things for the world rather than simply showing up for work and selling prescription drugs, look at the available pharmaceutical sales jobs at one of these companies today. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll feel great about yourself as well as the company you work for!
