Ethical Dilemma Case Study: Rite Aid/Walgreens Company

Target Corporation is an American retailing company, founded in 1902 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States. The company is ranked 36th on the Fortune 500 as of 2013. The first Target store was opened in 1962 in Roseville, Minnesota. Today Target operates 1,934 stores in the United States with over 347,000 team members worldwide.

Managed Care is a system of health care in which patients agree to visit only certain doctor and hospitals, and in which the cost of treatment is monitored by a managing company. David, a clinical supervisor of one pad was responsible for the clinical supervision of eight clinical case managers. On typically day, he receives around 40 phone messages about clients that are in need of his services. His job is to field calls from mental health providers seeking authorization to provide treatment for clients. There are those who believe that managed care is simply another example of corporate America discovering a means to increase profits for shareholders of insurance companies, at the expense of individuals seeking mental health treatment. (pg.

Walgreen’s drugstore was located in Barrett’s Hotel at Cottage Grove and Bowen Ave on Chicago’s Southside. The neighborhood was prospering but Walgreen’s wasn’t. Mr. Walgreen decided to add brighter lights, expand the aisles (since the other pharmacies were dull and cramped), and add variety like pots and pans (unheard of in a drugstore. The quality of Walgreen’s pharmaceutical compounds met the very highest standards of purity and freshness. Efficiency was increased. But the most dramatic change Mr. Walgreen instituted was a lever of service and personal attention unequaled by virtually any other pharmacy in Chicago. And this was exemplified by Walgreen’s famous “Two Minute Drill” (Walgreen, n.d., p. 3).

The training will includes healthcare codes of ethics for managed care and five ways to improve ethics in the managed care organization.

Early in my experience I learned vital skills in communication, management, and advertising simply from observing my superiors and interacting with customers. However, as I spent more and more time among the inviting promotions and colorful isles, harsh degrading practices became increasingly apparent. Behind Walgreen’s variety of cosmetic, grocery, and seasonal needs lies a

2. While the company is increasing the presence of 24-hour locations and drive-thru facilities, the interior layout of a Walgreens store does not always reflect its commitment to convenience. For example, Walgreens stores in Salem, Oregon, appear crowded with merchandise, an atmosphere that is contrary to the clean image of fast service that Walgreens would like to portray. There, upon entering a Walgreens store, one encounters aisles of merchandise stacked to the ceiling. The first items evident are seasonal merchandise and novelty goods. Health care items are not readily visible and are located toward the rear of the store. The actual pharmacy may be located in the farthest corner from the door, without distinct design or clear signage (Tran, 2011). As a company that attempts to set itself apart from competitors by being the drugstore of convenience, this store layout and design directly

In addition, the article highlighted the issue of litigation and policy context under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA’s) preemption provision. It stated that “when a law or legal action involves the administration of plan benefits, such as a state law mandating certain benefits or a patient’s challenge to the denial of a plan benefit, ERISA preemption is triggered” (Jacobson, 1999). Therefore, the states block the litigation against the managed care organizations. Lastly, the courts and public policy have been a challenge of the implementation of cost containment initiatives. Some prominent commentators have been arguing for years that health care delivery should be guided by market principles as determined through contractual

My experience at CVS/Pharmacy is a thorough illustration of the integration of ethics, technology and management. Since the time of Hippocrates, ethics have been at the forefront of importance in the healthcare field with pharmaceuticals bearing no exception. As members of the healthcare team, pharmacy staff have an ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of their patients; thus there is a need to make sure drug and other health information regarding the patient is accurate. Providing the wrong drug or drug dosage and issues of drug-drug interactions are just some of the very serious concerns associated with pharmaceuticals. Another ethical issue that is often related to the healthcare industry is privacy.

Identify and explain two ethical issues/dilemmas in healthcare as identified and discussed in the scholarly literature (ProQuest, EBSCO,

In the Healthcare field there are ethical issues that arise daily. From balancing care quality to determining end of life issues, healthcare professionals are constantly trying to find a place of balance. Healthcare professionals do not have an easy job, they face challenging decisions every single day determining what is best for the patient and the organization. When an ethical dilemma arises within a healthcare organization, ethical decision making can help make an onerous decision easier.

This paper will provide insight into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Walgreens Company, the nation’s leading drugstore chain. The company’s key stakeholders – customers, employees and the community are also identified and an explanation provided as to how the company is satisfying the needs and wants of each stakeholder type. This paper analyzes the strengths of the company as the industry leader with its wide portfolio of products and services, as well as establishing the benchmark for growth through acquisitions. The company’s weaknesses include prescription errors resulting in death and being unable to keep

The following ethics program will highlight some key ethical issues facing the healthcare industry as a whole, as well as hospice agencies specifically. In this program, I will reference ethical principles used today as well as reference historical ethicists and philosophers that backup the items outlined in this ethics program. There are two major topics to be discussed. The first will be how to treat patients that are at the end of their life, which includes their loved ones as well. A specific issue to be addressed in terms of patient care will be the option of doctor-assisted suicide, often called euthanasia, and why hospice should not support this. The other issue is that of data security and privacy, and how all patient information should be handled in the healthcare environment.

Child abuse is a serious preventable health concern in the United States (CDC, 2015). The CDC (2015) reports studies indicate 1 in 4 children suffer from maltreatment in their lifetime. More than 1500 children died from abuse or neglect in the United States in 2013 (CDC, 2015). The case study entitled Make the Best Choice deals with three times on maltreatment of a child, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse (CDC, 2015). The purpose of this post is to discuss the ethical principle involved in the aforementioned case study. I will also discuss the nurse’s ethical and legal obligations to the patient and the options available to the nurse. Finally, I will discuss my opinion of the case study.

If Wal-Mart has such little regard for their own employees, it would make it difficult for a company to have minimal regard to where their merchandise is coming from. On the documentary, The High Price of Low Cost, informs of the countries and Wal-Mart’s effects on these countries, including its presence for manufacturing in China. The workers work in conditions of extreme temperatures from morning until dawn and provided boarding, which is shared with several others and lined with bunk beds. The board and utilities are deducted from their wages even if the workers choose not to stay on the facilities the board is still deducted from their pay. These workers that are looking for employment to make a better future for their families are

Wal-Mart, the big giant, the place where a lot of people usually do their shopping for the low prices and the variety of products were founded by Sam Walton. Walton was an entrepreneur with an innovative vision started his own company and made it into the leader in discount retailing that it is today. In fact, Wal-Mart is considered to be the biggest company in the U.S. and it has stores worldwide. According to PBS, “Wal-Mart employs more people than any other company in the United States outside of the Federal government, yet the majority of its employees with children live below the poverty line.”(www.pbs.org) In addition, Wal-Mart likes to portray itself as a seller of U.S. manufactured goods