(Olesen, S. C.,) Together with the mental health that will come from being a good individual Blake should not have a problem getting a new position with a new company if Sycamore Pharmaceuticals decided to let him go or he could just decide to walk out on his own. With the risks as well as the rewards of being honest, there are risks in regards to lying to the FDA. “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the protection of the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness and security of human drugs and biological products through the enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and related regulations”.
Direct to Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising Pharmaceutical companies advertise their products through multiple mediums. These advertisements appear on TV, radio, billboards, magazines and newspapers and are directed to the general public. Individuals who see these ads can take this information to their doctor to inquire about curing their ailment. Some believe that these advertisements have created an over-medicated population for symptoms that may not need to be treated with prescription drugs. I believe that these advertisements do not cause harm to the overall population and in fact, help educate individuals who may believe they have the symptoms of an undiagnosed disease.
In fact, if you take prescription drugs and have no questions or concerns about them then you probably need to make yourself more aware of your personal health. Although prescription drugs are legal-with the permission of a doctor-we should all be conscious of the risks as well as the benefits that these drugs come with. Just the simple knowledge that all drugs were legal at one time should make people cautious of any mind-altering substance, and push us to make positive choices. Not only do these drugs alter our bodies while we use them, but they can completely change the way our bodies are able to function when they are no longer present. We need to make ourselves knowledgeable about all of the effects of prescription medications in order to make good decisions for our overall health because if we do not, then we are merely playing dice with our health just like the users of illegal drugs.
Drug companies that test trial medications in foreign nations are not acting ethically. Testing of experimental medications should be done in the host nation where the medications are being fabricated. A major moral difficulty that is being looked at with this is that the foreign countries that these clinical trials are occurring in are not completely taught on the dangers or completely comprehend what they are getting themselves into. For all the reasons mentioned above, I believe the drug companies are not acting ethically and go against the principles of act utilitarianism. Is American industry at too much risk of lawsuits to remain competitive?
Other physicians who argue that placebos are unethical do not disagree they can help, but believe the patient should know what they are receiving. This debate over placebos will continue until there are laws forbidding the use of placebos without the patients consent. This is specifically why all countries need to act on making these laws. Making laws that pertain to the use of placebos will not only stop unethical use but also increase trust in physician-patient relationships and provide more means of safety for the patients. One of the biggest issues with physicians prescribing placebos is they are doing so without even telling their patients what it is.
The authors also say that people do not want to feel pressured or forced to get tested because people do not want to feel as if it is a requirement; but it is. It is important to practice safe sex and not share needles if you are doing intravenous drugs. The authors also stated as follows: “Currently, in 25% of the AIDS cases in the United States, infected individuals are unaware they are HIV positive” (Driscoll). There used to be a code-based testing to make people feel more comfortable as far as confidentiality is concerned, but since the president changed the law, everyone has to be identified by name. Dirty needles are one way that you can contract this malignant disease.
However, going forward, especially in a time of reintroduced focus on cost control, effective treatment patterns and health care organization, the exposure of unethical practices is unavoidable, and the drug business will be obliged to follow harsher guidelines or face solemn consequences. One of the off label drug used in the field of gynecology is TAMOXIFEN. This drug is used in breast cancer treatment but few physicians are using them for female fertility as some preliminary researches have proven its beneficial action on ovaries to produce ova. Medical representatives visit the gynecologist and show them the positive literature but do not tell them that it’s not yet approved by drug administration for this purpose. Another example is MISOPROTOL.
Their top priority as a doctor is to help others, and one is not helping someone by denying them aid. For example, a person enters a pharmacy and asks for birth control pills. The person approaches the pharmacist in order to obtain those birth control pills, but the pharmacist does not want to give him/her the pills because the pharmacist believes it is morally wrong. Whichever way you see this, the pharmacist has no choice in the matter; it is the person asking for the pills that has a choice. Whether you support or criticize birth control pills, it is ultimately up to that person to decide for themselves, not the pharmacist.
As such, physicians are targeted for product promotion by pharmaceutical companies, even when the risks of doing so outweigh the benefits. Drug Companies should not be allowed to personally market drugs to physicians. Product promotion is critical for any large pharmaceutical company. At the same time, because pharmaceutical interventions can monumentally impact human health, promotion of products must follow strict guidelines set by the FDA. Ethical promotion requires pharmaceutical companies to provide exact product facts, without recommending “off-label” use, i.e., promoting a product outside its specified FDA-approved label and guidelines for distribution, handling, etc.
It affects the people who are afraid of addiction and therefore won’t take pain medication when prescribed for fear of addiction. Health care providers need to be more aware of how their practices play into this problem. Providers need to put more emphasis on recognizing when someone is more at risk for addiction. Introduction