Business Ethics
Vernina Ali
Module 3 Original Discussion Assignment
In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular practice for drug companies to perform their clinical testing of new drugs in foreign countries that might not have the consumer protections or product liability laws present in the United States.
Are drug companies that test experimental drugs in foreign countries acting ethically?
Drug companies that test experimental drugs in foreign countries are acting unethically. Based on the utilitarianism theory, testing experimental drugs is unethical. Based on Shaw and Barry (2013), the utilitarianisms moral doctrine states that “we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone
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The responsibility to create safe vaccines and drugs for the greater society falls on the drug company. I believe that the drug companies should be liable if something goes wrong with the drugs that they manufacture.
Is it ethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug because they can make more money marketing drugs that are more widely needed? Is it ethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug in a foreign country because they can make more money marketing the drug elsewhere?
It is unethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug because they can make more money marketing drugs that are more widely needed. Any drug that is useful should be available to individuals regardless of the profits the company would make selling more widely needed drugs. The responsibility of the drug company should be to provide society with the drugs that will aid in their care and cure. While making more money can be positive, it should be the deciding factor when it comes to the health of the community. No, it is not ethical for companies to decline to sell a useful drug in a foreign country because they can make more money marketing the drug elsewhere. Individuals in foreign, less advantaged countries should not be
Due to these incidents and many severe cases of drug side effects that had happened in the past including deaths, the current way drugs are developed and approved are unethical. Therefore, reform in FDA’s management as well as the guidelines is necessary to strengthen safety standards and eliminate problems regarding drug development and regulation.
Drug companies that test experimental drugs in foreign countries are not acting ethically. Testing of experimental drugs should be done in the host country where the drugs are being manufactured. A major ethical dilemma that is
Economic: Globalization of the pharmaceutical industry is an exciting opportunity to have research and development done at cheaper prices in other countries. However, this could be a double edged sword for companies because it is easy for other countries, such as India, to produce generic versions of the drug in bulk.
Many countries such as Canada, India, and the UK have price controls. The governments of these countries impose regulations that control the prices of new drugs as well as generics without compromising safety but at the same time they do not burden pharmaceutical companies
The twenty-first century has seen pharmaceutical companies grow in unprecedented size and strength. Due to the unprecedented growth the larger pharmaceutical companies have gained leverage and power in the prescription drug industry, but they lack innovation to market and they seek ways to help the business continue to increase its profits. The pharmaceutical industry was once ethically sound and was a valuable player in the development of human health. However, overtime with the lack of innovation pharmaceutical companies are becoming an unethical market that exploits patients, doctors and anyone else it can to increase its profitability. With eyes only on profitability this can create a hazard for patients because there
This is obviously a huge topic in bioethics debates, especially recently after various changes in Federal Healthcare protocols. Some people depend on pharmaceuticals as a daily part of their routine, requiring some medicine or other for a condition or health issue. A prime example of this is the recent hike in the price of epinephrine shots, commonly known as the Epipen produced by Mylan Pharmaceuticals. This medication has seen a huge increase in pricing rising from roughly $50 in 2007 to over $600 this year. This is a shot used for common allergic reactions and therefore is used or carried by millions of people every day. The concern then is that pricing will get too high and patients will have to do without some medications leaving them vulnerable or even helpless in the face of certain conditions.
As for whether or not it is ethical for companies to decline selling a useful drug in a foreign country because they can make more money marketing the drug elsewhere, I am again neither in agreement or disagreement on this one. It is a company’s chose where and to whom they want to sell drugs to. However, in poor countries, people cannot easily afford anything. Companies would have to reduce their price significantly even by selling in bulk. If they sell to China or other countries that can afford the drugs, I am sure they would do so but they also risk losing money.
The Pharmaceutical industry has been in the spotlight for decades due to the fact that they have a reputation for being unethical in its marketing strategies. In The Washington Post Shannon Brownlee (2008) states, “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow.” This honorable statement is completely lost in today’s world of pharmaceutical marketing tactics. These tactics are often deceptive and biased. Big Pharma consistently forgets their moral purpose and focuses primarily on the almighty dollar. Big Pharma is working on restoring their reputation by reforming their ethical code of conduct.
Public health officials and vaccine manufacturers should not be allowed to pay for research the vaccine or do the clinical trials. The government should be responsible for safety studies since the taxpayers are paying for the claims. The research should be unbiased with studies that show the negative effect of vaccines on healthy individuals. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have the greater good of the country at stake and both have an agenda to vaccinate against devastating disease. If the public loses confidence in the vaccines, they would not be vaccinated. Imagine what would happen if the vaccines were unavailable for some reason. All the diseases would reappear and wreak havoc on the medical community (Orfitt 182-185). The manufacturers have reputation and financial gain to consider. If the need for
These companies are clearly putting the health and well-being on people to save money, them bypassing the laws to save money and avoid regulations and protocols of the United States. The low standard of medical treatment these companies are providing in addition to the slave labor wages is preposterous to say the least. Many major pharmaceuticals companies make sure to inform the public of all the free medicines they donate to developing countries. One would think that is the least they can do considering these products were probably tested on them years ago, and let us not forget the tax
They are not obligated to provide these drugs to countries who cannot afford it. This is centered around the viewpoints of the Libertarian. Libertarians believe that they do not have to perform acts that are beneficial to others and their ideas/thoughts are more self-centered (Shaw & Berry, 2013, 115-118). Thus, supporting the idea that companies do not have to make drugs available in poor countries at little or no cost. These companies made their own profit selling and distributing drugs. Being that they made their own money and did not violate any laws, there is no sense of obligation to provide such drugs in poor
Critical issued of the appropriateness of conducting clinical trials in emerging countries has arisen over years. Being a leading company in biopharmaceutical industry, Novo Nordisk faces the critiques of whether it is justice to offshoring their clinical trials in developing economies. With the consistency of ethical principles brought up by Novo Nordisk, the company would be able to move their trials into emerging economies with the best interest for stakeholders. I will also propose ideas to Mr, Dejgaard for possible approach to media as well as the practices that Novo Nordisk could have changed over time at the end.
Over the past couple of decades, a sudden change has started to take over the way business is done. The time when no rules applied, and anyone could do what they pleased at the cost of others or the environment is rapidly ending. Instead, companies today have become aware that it is essential for them to employ ethics and morality in their actions, if not they will be heavily scrutinized and rejected by the public. This way of thinking also applies to the pharmaceutical industry, which over the past century has been rapidly expanding. Do to the fact that this industry can determine the health and lives of millions of people, it is imperative that this industry follow an ethical and moral path.
The cost of new medical drugs seems to be accepted by many people who use them. These pharmaceutical companies increase their profits more and more each year because many people assume that it does cost a lot of money for research and development. Where in reality, they are only spending about 15% of their profit margins on research and development alone. A huge percentage of these drugs are actually tested in other countries where people are more willing to do trials with these drugs because they cannot afford them. Not only are there more people who are more willing to try them, but also there is less regulation and oversight when it comes to testing. Conducting these clinical trials overseas not only saves
In this case study I was asked six question the first one was,Do pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to distribute drugs for free or at low cost in developing countries? What are the main arguments for and against such an approach?