The Importance of Compliance Programs in Life Sciences: Survey Results

Navigating the compliance world of life sciences can be challenging, especially when rules are sometimes open for interpretation. However, following compliance rules and regulations is crucial to the success of your business and you should feel confident when forming and managing your company’s compliance program.

Porzio Life Sciences, a leader in advising life sciences clients on regulatory and compliance issues, conducts an annual survey of individuals with healthcare compliance responsibilities to gain insights into how companies handle compliance challenges.

Here are three highlights from their 2016 survey results:

Departments most challenged with adhering to compliance laws and regulations: sales & marketing

About 54% of respondents reported that the sales department had the most difficulty adhering to compliance laws and regulations. Surprised? We’re not. As a department that is field-based, sales teams likely have a different understanding of the risks associated with not following compliance programs, despite all the compliance training they likely receive. The marketing department was the next most challenged (23%) with adhering to compliance laws and regulations. The good news is that, according to the research, most every other department in an organization seems to easily follow compliance rules.

Compliance programs are getting the support needed from leadership teams

About 86% of respondents indicated they receive strong support or very strong support on their company’s healthcare compliance effort from their company’s CEO and board. These executives understand that violations of rules can have a costly effect on their bottom line. Plus, having the support from the top is the best way to form and enforce an effective compliance program and promote a positive compliance culture.

Social media postings by employees on company products are tightly managed

 Almost half (49%) of respondents reported that social media postings by employees on company products are tightly managed, while another 30% of respondents said their organizations are loosely managing the process. As social media continues to expand, laying out clear compliance programs to include social media guidelines can help your employees in understanding guardrails for posting about company products.

If you haven’t checked out the full survey results, make sure you do. The results can help you benchmark your company’s compliance program with your industry peers.

If you need assistance in managing compliance within your life sciences organization, contact Porzio Life Sciences at romanski@PorzioLS.com.

If you’d like to learn about how Pepper Flow can streamline the review of your advertising, promotional and compliance materials, contact us at hello@vodori.com