Corporate Compliance | Amgen Canada

Amgen’s mission is to serve patients. That mission, together with our values, forms the basis of a deeply held belief system that guides our behaviours and informs our relationships. In line with our values, Amgen expects everyone who works for the company – staff members, temporary staff, contractors or consultants – to conduct business ethically and in accordance with all applicable laws.

Compliance with the law and with Amgen policies when dealing with fellow Amgen staff members or contingent workers, our customers, our suppliers, the patients who receive our products, government agencies that regulate our business and our competitors is an essential component of “doing the right thing.”

Amgen Canada Inc. conducts its business activities in Canada in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, ethical codes and guidelines; Amgen Canada is proud to be a member of Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC), a position that emphasizes our commitment to improving the quality of life of all Canadians through the discovery, development and availability of new medicines.

We maintain a policy of proactive adherence to all IMC principles and provide all Amgen Canada employees with the latest information concerning the code and its objectives.

Voluntary Disclosure of Payments to Healthcare Professionals and Healthcare Organizations

As a key stakeholder within the Canadian healthcare system, Amgen Canada plays an important role with patients, caregivers, Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), government, as well as payers in Canada. Collaboration between industry and these stakeholders has helped produce innovative medicines, develop novel diagnostics, maintain patient support programs and compassionate-use initiatives, and has fundamentally changed how diseases affect the lives of Canadians. Collaboration between HCPs, Healthcare Organizations (HCOs) and the bio-pharmaceutical industry is essential to improving the quality of life of Canadians as it drives scientific advancements, enhances medical education, and promotes health literacy.

Amgen Canada is committed to collaborating with health system stakeholders to further understand their needs, so that all may continue to advance and evolve together. Bringing greater transparency to these valuable and well-regulated relationships increases understanding of industry’s collaboration across the healthcare sector, and contributes to enhancing trust and value for patients, as well as the Canadian healthcare system.

Amgen Canada publishes aggregated sums of payments to Canadian HCPs and HCOs as follows:

One sum total of the company’s payments to HCPs for services such as speaking and/or consulting. This includes direct, indirect and in-kind payments as well as funding and patient support programs.
One sum total of the company’s funding to HCOs, which supports efforts such as philanthropic (charitable), educational and/or scientific activities. This includes direct, indirect and in-kind payments as well as funding.
One sum total of the company’s funds provided to HCPs to support their travel Accommodation, meals and congress registration fee to attend international congresses and/or global standalone meetings, which, as per the IMC Code of Ethical Practices, are scientific exchange meetings organized by the International Affiliate/Global Corporate Head Office of a Company, which involve Health Care Professional invitees from many different countries (including Canada) and is usually held in a central location, inside or outside of Canada.

Amgen Canada Voluntary Disclosure of Payments to HCPs and HCOs – January to December 2022

Business Conduct Hotline

Amgen maintains a Business Conduct Hotline for individuals to report situations that they believe may be unethical or unlawful. The toll-free number is (888) 376-5574 and online reporting tool and operators are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls to the Business Conduct Hotline are answered and logged by an external vendor, and callers may remain anonymous. Any reports of non-compliance are investigated in a timely manner. The Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that the cause(s) of potential violations identified through investigations are understood and corrective action is taken to prevent recurrence. For more information regarding global Compliance and Business Ethics Program please visit our global website at Global Compliance and Business Ethics Program.

Accessible Customer Service Policy

Service Provision

Amgen is committed to excellence in serving all of its customers, including customers with disabilities. Amgen will work with its customers to provide its services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

Communication

Communication between Amgen and its customers is the basis of customer service. Amgen will work with persons with disabilities to provide alternatives that facilitate effective communication.

Assistive Devices

Amgen recognizes that some customers with disabilities use assistive devices in order to benefit from its services. Amgen welcomes customers who use assistive devices and will work to facilitate the use of assistive devices by the customer.

Service Animals

Amgen welcomes service animals in the parts of its premises which are open to the public.

Support Persons

Amgen welcomes support persons who accompany persons with disabilities.

Disruption of Service

In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities which may impact customers with disabilities, Amgen and its representatives will make every effort to inform customers as soon as possible.

Employee Training

Amgen will provide training on the AODA and the Customer Service Standard to employees who service our customers as well as employees who are involved in policy development.

Feedback Process

Amgen welcomes feedback from customers with disabilities. Should you wish to provide feedback you may contact Amgen using the Contact Us page. This policy is available in hard copy on request.

Modifications to this or other Policies

We are committed to developing client service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of visitors with disabilities. Amgen will consider its customers with disabilities in modifications to this or other policies.

Please see our website privacy policy at amgen.ca

As part of our commitment to responsible medical sharps disposal, we are proud to support Sharps Collection Programs managed by Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA). These programs provide a safe and convenient way for consumers to dispose of unused or expired medical sharps in an environmentally responsible manner.

To learn more about properly storing and handling pharmaceuticals and medical sharps or finding a collection location near you, we encourage you to visit the HPSA website at www.healthsteward.ca

Personal information collected by Amgen Canada

Amgen Canada collects personal information for many aspects of its activities, including the following:

Healthcare Professionals and their Staff

Amgen Canada collects personal information about healthcare professionals such as physicians and pharmacists who prescribe and dispense Amgen Canada products so that we can communicate with them. This information may include an individual’s name, contact details, specialty, areas of interest. In most cases, if you do not provide information about yourself which Amgen Canada has requested, Amgen Canada may not be able to provide you with the relevant service or information required.

Amgen Canada may collect personal information about healthcare professionals/investigators who are interested in conducting clinical trials with Amgen Canada, and their staff who assist in conducting the clinical trials. This personal information is provided voluntarily by healthcare professionals through surveys and questionnaires, and generally includes the individual’s name, address, telephone details, area of expertise, past experience, financial information, research interests, qualifications, position, including information provided on Curriculum Vitae.

Consumers/Patients

Amgen Canada does not collect personal information from members of the public or patients but may obtain it through our websites or during business activities both in writing and from telephone inquiries. Amgen may use this personal information solely for the purpose of managing services to which the individual is enrolled, either directly or through third party contractors, for the purpose of responding to an inquiry made by the individual to Amgen Canada, or in connection with a product complaint or adverse event. Generally, the type of information Amgen Canada collects in these situations includes a person’s name and contact details and information relating to the service being provided or the inquiry made by the individual.

Information collected during Clinical Trials

Patients may participate in clinical trials of biopharmaceutical products as part of Amgen Canada’s medical research and development programs. The trials are conducted by hospitals or other institutions, but are funded and supported by Amgen Canada. Patients who participate in these clinical trials provide express written consent to the manner in which their personal information will be collected, used, transferred, accessed and/or disclosed in connection with the research related to the trial.

Generally, Amgen Canada only receives de-identified information relating to clinical trial patients from physicians and investigators conducting the clinical trial. Personal identifiers related to this information, such as the patient’s name and residential address, are not collected by Amgen Canada except in limited circumstances and only with the patient’s express consent. These circumstances include certain clinical trials where Amgen Canada employees or its authorized contractors may view personal information at a clinical trial site to audit and/or monitor the trial and to comply with regulatory requirements.

Use

In general, Amgen Canada uses personal information for the following purposes:

To maintain a record of medical queries, complaints and adverse event reports relating to Amgen Canada’s products and, as required by law, reporting these to relevant regulatory agencies (e.g., Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch).
To provide requested products or services.
For administering conferences, symposia, seminars or other similar programs organised by Amgen Canada.
To involve physicians/investigators (and the people who assist them) in clinical trials in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, International Conference of Harmonization, and regulatory requirements.
To notify you of matters of which Amgen Canada may be required by law to notify you (e.g., product recalls).
To coordinate and manage the relationships between healthcare professionals/investigators and Amgen Canada’s sales and marketing staff and scientific affairs departments, as applicable.
To conduct market research.
For the purpose of improving our products and services.

Disclosure

Amgen Canada will not disclose, trade, rent, sell or otherwise transfer your personal information, without your prior consent, except as otherwise set out in this Privacy Policy.

Amgen Canada may transfer personal information on a confidential basis to Amgen affiliates worldwide and third party contractors or service providers within or outside of Canada. These companies, which are engaged by Amgen Canada to provide services such as, database management, specialist mailing services, care management services, conference organisation, marketing or advertising services, or clinical trial related activities, will receive personal information necessary for the purposes for which they are engaged. Amgen Canada remains accountable for all personal information it transfers to these third party contractors and service providers, and takes appropriate measures to ensure that these third parties safeguard the confidentiality of all personal information.

There may be circumstances where Amgen Canada shares your personal information with third party contractors and service providers (including affiliates of Amgen Canada) that are located outside Canada. In particular, your personal information may be stored on servers in the United States, Europe and other countries and may therefore be subject to other additional local legislation. Other jurisdictions, including the United States, may have laws and regulations that require the disclosure of personal information to governmental authorities under different circumstances than would Canada.

Amgen Canada may disclose personal information to third party manufacturers and service providers in circumstances involving a product or service complaint received by Amgen Canada, or to regulatory bodies where Amgen Canada is under a legal obligation to provide personal information. Amgen Canada may also disclose personal information for the purposes of an emergency that threatens the life, health or security of an individual. If such a disclosure is made, Amgen Canada will notify the individual about whom personal information was disclosed.

In addition, we must provide your personal information in response to a search warrant or other legally valid inquiry or order, or to an investigative body in the case of a breach of an agreement or contravention of law, or as otherwise required by law. Amgen Canada may also disclose personal information to assist us in collecting a debt owed by you.

Amgen Canada reserves the right to transfer any information we have about you in the event we merge with, sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets to another party.

Accessing personal information Amgen Canada holds about you

You may seek access to the personal information Amgen Canada holds about you by submitting an access request in writing to Amgen Canada at the address set out below. Amgen Canada will endeavour to process written requests within a reasonable time and in any event within thirty (30) days of receipt of the request unless Amgen Canada notifies you otherwise. Amgen Canada will provide your personal information to you at no cost or, under certain circumstances, at a minimal cost, but only after having advised you of this cost and given you an opportunity to withdraw your request. In certain circumstances Amgen Canada is entitled to deny access, in situations where:

the information is protected by solicitor-client privilege;
to do so would reveal confidential commercial information;
to do so could reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual;
the information was generated in the course of a formal dispute resolution process; or
the personal information was collected without consent, as allowed pursuant to applicable privacy legislation, for the purposes of an investigation and the investigation and associated proceedings and appeals have not been completed.

Personal information - Management and Security

Amgen Canada endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date.

The protection of your privacy and the safety of your personal information is very important to Amgen Canada. We will retain your personal information only for the time it is required for the purpose for which it was collected and to comply with applicable laws. We will securely destroy obsolete personal information.

Amgen Canada has appointed a Chief Privacy Officer to oversee Amgen Canada’s management of personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, our website privacy policy, PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

Amgen Canada maintains the confidentiality of all personal information collected and will only disclose such information to employees and authorized service providers who require such information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification and disclosure of personal information in our custody and control.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy will be updated periodically to reflect any changes to our personal information practices. We will only treat your personal information in accordance with the privacy policy in place at the time of collection of such information, or as you otherwise consent or as permitted by law.

What if you have an inquiry?

If you have questions about Amgen Canada’s privacy practices, wish to provide feedback about this Privacy Policy, would like to update your personal information or wish to access the personal information about you held by Amgen Canada, please contact our local Privacy Officer as follows:

Amgen Canada Privacy Officer
Phone: 905-285-3131
Email: privacycanada@amgen.com
Postal Address: Amgen Canada, 6775 Financial Dr., Suite 100, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 0A2