pl

Healthy and ethical development of business

600

pharmacy managers
have undergone
training in ethics

8m

visits to
the doz.pl
website per month

about
850

suppliers
working
with PGF

Ethics management

Code of Ethics

Ethical conduct of employees lies at the core of Pelion’s organisational culture. As a responsible company, Pelion complies with all laws and regulations applicable in the pharmaceutical market. With its stakeholders, and particularly its employees, in mind, in 2013 Pelion drafted and implemented its Code of Ethics, founded on certain values that are of key importance to the Company: Leadership, Responsibility and Trust. The purpose of the Code is to enhance the transparency of the Company’s operations. The Code was also developed to support Pelion employees in finding the right approach in certain situations they may encounter in everyday work. The Code sets standards of conduct focused on integrity and transparency of all activities.

According to its provisions, Pelion:

  • Always puts Patients in the centre of attention, taking care of their health to the extent it can be influenced by the Company;
  • Builds trust in an effort to become a trading partner of choice and to cooperate with companies that share the Company’s core ethical values;
  • Safeguards free market competition by applying and promoting the highest standards of ethics in market rivalry;
  • Counteracts corruption by putting a ban on any form of corrupt practices;
  • Maintains the company value by protecting its reputation and securing its tangible and intangible assets;
  • Builds an employee-friendly company, offering fair terms of employment in a friendly work environment, fostering employees’ professional and personal development, and promoting healthy lifestyles;
  • Creates a better reality by getting involved and encouraging others to get involved in social projects and improvement of the health condition of the Company’s employees and society in general;
  • Cares for the natural environment, searching for new ways to minimise its negative environmental impacts.

Throughout 2015, Pelion continued to implement its Code of Ethics across all Group companies. Each newly recruited employee was required to read the Code and sign a commitment to abide by its provisions. To check their knowledge of the Code of Ethics, employees can take part in special training via an e-learning platform. Since 2014, compliance with the provisions of the Code of Ethics has been overseen by the Ethics Officer.

In view of Pelion’s international presence, the Code of Ethics has been published in two language versions: Polish and English.

Each employee of Pelion may report incidents involving a breach of the applicable rules of ethical conduct to their immediate superiors. If, for any reasons, an employee does not want to use this channel, they can report their concerns and suspicions of unethical conduct using a helpline or the Ethics Officer’s e-mail.

In 2015, one suspicion of mobbing was reported, followed by an investigation and mediation carried out by the Ethics Officer. The suspected mobbing was not confirmed. No workplace discrimination cases were reported in 2015.

Customers have the possibility of reporting their concerns and grievances using the complaints procedure.

The Code of Ethics is publicly available at the www.pelion.eu website in the “CSR” tab.

Pelion’s decisions as to the choice of trading partners are based exclusively on merit, taking into account such elements as the reliability, reputation, economic standing, as well as the quality and competitiveness of a given company’s offering. If necessary, Pelion’s employees may be required to present fair and objective criteria based on which any specific company was chosen as a trading partner or the scope of business with that company. Pelion’s employees never, whether directly or indirectly, participate in any acts of corruption, no matter what are the prevailing practices or habits accepted in any specific market.

In 2015, there were no cases of corruption at the Company. No legal steps were taken against the Company on account of any anti-competitive behaviour or monopolistic practices. No financial penalties or other non-financial sanctions were imposed on the Company due to any legal or regulatory non-compliance.

In 2015, no financial penalties were imposed on any Pelion Group company due to any legal or regulatory non-compliance concerning supply or use of products and services.

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Acting responsibly

Pelion becomes involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives both at the local and international levels.

On July 2nd 2012, Pelion, as the first company from Łódź and the Polish healthcare sector, joined the Global Compact – an initiative by the UN Secretary General seeking to develop an international circle of socially responsible businesses. Participation in the Global Compact offers a unique opportunity for sharing experience in sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. As a Global Compact member, Pelion has made a commitment to embrace, support and enact, within its sphere of influence, 10 principles relating to human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. At the same time, the Company meets the obligation to report on its observance of the Global Compact principles at the GC website. For detailed information about the initiative as well as the reports, go to globalcompact.org.pl.

In 2015, Pelion participated in the “Equality in Business” project, dedicated to promoting gender equality in the labour market, and in particular to promoting the participation of women in decision-making processes in the economic sphere. The campaign was launched by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, who invited various persons, institutions, firms and organisations promoting gender equality to join the Ambassadors of Equality in Business. Pelion was among those invited to join the group. The Company’s employees were strongly engaged in the initiative − for instance, they won the first place in the photography competition promoting equality, which was organised as part of the campaign.

Since 2008, Pelion has actively participated in the Global Dignity Day, an initiative undertaken by members of the World Economic Forum to foster the idea of human dignity and respect for other people.

Together with its subsidiaries, Pelion has also been actively engaged in various nationwide and international initiatives of the pharmaceutical sector.

Membership in organisations:

  • World Economic Forum
  • “Farmacja Polska” Chamber of Commerce
  • Polish Business Roundtable
  • Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesaler Employers
  • PharmaNET Association of Pharmacy Employers
  • Polish Association of Stock Exchange Issuers
  • GIRP (Groupement International de la Répartition Pharmaceutique Full-line Wholesalers/ The European Association of Pharmaceutical Full-Line Wholesalers)
  • Polish Association of Employers of the Disabled
  • Polish Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry and Medical Devices “Polfarmed”
  • Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland
  • Press Distribution Control Association
  • Łomża Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • “Lublin Business Club” Association
  • Commercial Chamber of Advanced Technologies
  • Polish Cosmetic Industry Association

To ensure the highest standards of its external and marketing communications, the Company complies with generally applicable legal regulations, and also observes certain internal advertising policies. To this end, Pelion has drafted and adopted the “Rules governing activities undertaken at Pelion S.A. in the area of advertising, marketing and PR.” All relevant personnel are obliged to comply with the Rules, which apply particularly to persons responsible for communications within the Company.

The document is available from the Company’s website at: http://www.pelion.eu/uploads/aebf987b2d.pdf

Pelion Group companies publish various magazines, for instance Bez Recepty, Magazyn 60+, Nasza Firma, and Farmakoekonomika Szpitalna. Their journalistic integrity is of key importance. Magazyn 60+, DOZ Magazyn, Bez Recepty and their publishers are members of the Press Distribution Control Association. Particular attention is given to the marking of and information on the DOZ and Natura own brand products. All the requisite standards are met. In addition, the Company cares for sensitive persons, including the blind, by placing braille texts on dietary supplements, which is not required by law.

Efforts are made to ensure that full and reliable information on Pelion’s offering is provided, and that customers can lodge their comments or complaints. Great weight is attached by Pelion Group companies to their offers, as well as promotional and advertising materials. Pelion is also present in the social media. Some companies have their profiles on Facebook, Goldenline and Twitter. Persons responsible for administering the profiles exercise all due care in doing so, seeking to ensure the topmost communication standards.

In view of the ban on pharmacy advertising in effect since 2012 and the vague definition of advertising in the Pharmaceutical Law, the Pelion Group companies have been unable to reach Patients with their offerings and other information, which considerably hinders their communication with Patients.

Patients are deprived of access to comprehensive and reliable information of the pharmacies’ offerings, which would enable them to make informed decisions when choosing a drug therapy. The vagueness of the regulations on pharmacy advertising has led to ambiguities in their interpretation, as a result of which in 2015 penalties were imposed on DOZ S.A. for its alleged failure to comply.

The amount is included in the GRI table, as it was last year:

  • Finish the work on and implement the Code of Ethics;
  • Implement the Global Compact principles and corporate social responsibility initiatives among its customers and trading partners.