Patient groups are independent, non-profit organizations founded by patients, care-givers, family members and health professionals.
They provide their members with information about their condition and guidance on how to live with their disease. They engage with healthcare providers, governments and the media to promote improved treatment and services for patients and campaign for change on issues that affect patients' and care-givers' lives. Some carry out vital research into the causes of and potential treatments for specific conditions.
Patient groups are important stakeholders for GSK and we engage with them as part of our commitment to be a patient-focused company. We share their belief that healthcare systems should focus on preventing, treating and managing disease, and that patients should have access to quality medicines, services and information on disease.
Our relationships with patient groups are mutually beneficial. Together, we work to improve patient outcomes and support policies that best address unmet patient needs. We work with these independent organizations to strengthen their support for patients throughout their illness, from diagnosis to chronic treatment and end-of-life care, and to further their organizational objectives. We work with them through supporting the sharing of best practices and through provision of some core and project funding.
We define Core Funding as funding that supports the organization's operations and Project Funding as funding attached to a particular activity such as a project, research fellowship, charitable donation, employee gift match or volunteer grant.
The grants provided to patient groups represent less than 25% of each group's annual/projected income in alignment with our global policy.
GSK global principles for working with patient groups
- The independence of patient groups, of their political judgment and or their activities shall be assured.
- In all co-operative matters, transparency is vital.
- Any joint policies undertaken between patient groups and GSK shall be based on mutual respect and trust.
- We shall not use undue influence to promote specific medicines or services.
- We will always comply with local laws/governance.
Please use the tabs above to see the patient groups and community stakeholders we provided financial support to in Canada.
