Abbott voluntary admission: representative worked without passing ABPI Medical Representatives Examination (Clause 16.3)

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/2458/11/11
Company	Abbott Laboratories Limited
Issue	One representative had not taken/passed the ABPI Medical Representatives Examination
How it came to light	Internal review of representatives’ certificates; voluntary admission to PMCPA
Applicable Code year	2011
Breach clauses	16.3
Complaint received	17 November 2011
Case completed	4 January 2012
Appeal	No appeal
Sanctions	Undertaking received (additional sanctions: Not stated)

Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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Abbott Laboratories voluntarily advised the PMCPA that one of its representatives had not taken the ABPI Medical Representatives Examination.
The issue was identified during an internal review of representatives’ certificates.
The representative had entered the industry when a nursing qualification could exempt them from the exam, but that exemption was removed in 2006.
Previously exempt representatives had to be entered for the exam by January 2007 and pass by January 2008.
An internal 20 January 2006 email to regional managers highlighted that there were no longer any exemptions and asked for names of previously exempt staff.
The representative’s then manager replied that the team was “up to speed” on the changes; the Panel considered this ambiguous and that clarification should have been sought.
Abbott could not find formal documentation about the representative’s exam status when they joined; the manager later left the company.
Once discovered, the representative stopped working in the field until a resolution could be found.

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Breach ruled (as acknowledged by Abbott).
The Panel ruled a breach of Clause 16.3 (representatives must pass the appropriate ABPI representatives’ examination within required time limits).
No appeal.

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