Merck purchases goods and services — ranging from office furniture, promotional items, supplies, waste treatment and disposal services to active pharmaceutical ingredients used in manufacturing our products — from hundreds of suppliers around the world. We also work with numerous licensees worldwide to market and distribute our products.

Merck follows a global sourcing and relationship management strategy for materials and services worldwide with a special focus on the top suppliers of critical goods and services. We maintain strict quality, environmental, ethical, health and safety, and labor standards in our own operations — and we insist on responsible standards from our external manufacturers and licensees as well.