A new online training and reference resource has launched to further understanding of the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry, offering a practical, principle-based approach to navigating complex decision-making.

Clarke’s Code Companion sets out to provide anyone working with the ABPI Code with practical and pragmatic guidance on how to interpret the Code and apply it.

Developed by leading pharmaceutical industry Code expert, Dr Sarah Clarke, and written in her trademark conversational style, the online resource is designed to cut through complexity and provide hands-on insights, empowering signatories, reviewers, and anyone involved in preparing promotional and non-promotional materials. The tool provides:

• Full searchable access to the ABPI Code of Practice text
• Over 350 comments adjacent to the Code’s specific text, allowing users to interrogate the Code wording alongside a seasoned expert’s thoughts on it
• Direction to nearly 200 relevant cases to deepen learning and foster an appreciation of the nuance, detail and judgement required to make robust decisions
• Practical tips to avoid common pitfalls and support confident reviews

Dr Sarah Clarke said: “This is the first resource that uses the Code text itself and layers interpretation directly on top, to reinforce and build familiarity with the actual Code wording alongside expert commentary. I have worked with the Code for more than 40 years as a final signatory and am still making decisions and approving materials today, so my view is not one from an ivory tower, but from the sharp end, as a jobbing medic in the industry. I want people to see the ABPI Code as a safety net not a barrier. It enables us to do the right thing for patients and bring real value to the business.”

Dr Karen Mullen, Chief Medical Officer at Boyds, ex-PMCPA Appeal Board member and former Medical Director, GSK UK, said: “Clarke’s Code Companion is about developing the critical ability to think, rationalise and justify important decisions that reviewers are inevitably making. This will become an important and popular tool, as anyone who has worked with Sarah knows her advice and expertise are invaluable, and this is certainly going to be too.”

Available on subscription via the Life Science Access Academy (LSAA) website, the UK’s leading training platform for the Life Science sector, Clarke’s Code Companion has an easy-to-use interface enabling users to search any term and instantly access both the official Code wording and Dr Clarke’s expert interpretation.