GlaxoSmithKline outlines amended sales and marketing practices

GlaxoSmithKline has announced a series of significant changes to the way it sells and markets products in order to ensure it is operating in a responsible and transparent manner.

During 2014, the company will implement a new compensation system applying to all sales-oriented employees, removing individual sales targets and instead rewarding staff for technical knowledge and quality of service.

It will also begin the process of ending direct payments to healthcare professionals for speaking engagements or attendance at medical conferences by the start of 2016, while strengthening its capability to provide appropriate product information and support medical education initiatives.

This will help the company to better serve patients and do business in a way that is clear and transparent, without any perception of conflict of interest.

Sir Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline, said: "We believe that it is imperative that we continue to actively challenge our business model at every level to ensure we are responding to the needs of patients and meeting the wider expectations of society."

This comes after the company announced plans to share clinical trial data more openly in future, in response to calls for greater pharmaceutical industry transparency.