Ethical Issues in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Running head: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate Social Responsibility
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Introduction
The present essay provides an insight on the core ethical issues in the
pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical enterprise have crucial role for the
widespread recovery of effectiveness in the healthcare industry. The international
institutions intervened with the framework of ethical code that mainly represent
minimum standards the enterprise respect to attain good ethical practices. At present,
most of the pharmaceutical companies maintain ethics in its business operations.
Ethical values of pharmaceutics are directly related to professional responsibilities of the
pharmacists (Publications.parliament 2018). The major ethical values of pharmaceutics
involve- respect for the patient’s dignity, non-maleficence, beneficence, honesty,
empathy, cooperation. Over the years, as the role of pharmacists have changed
considerably, numerous ethical issues occurs relating to varied aspects of discipline.
The pharmacists being one of the health –care providers face ethical problems in form
of pharmaceutical care, cooperation with health- care team and relationship with the
patients. In few nations, especially in US and UK, the pharmacies are involved in
primary care service industry and few have special prescription rights. However, they
are faced with issues regarding requirement of technical skills and consideration of
ethical values. Due to such ethical issues, the pharmacists use code of ethics for
safeguarding their profession The National Board of Registration of Pharmacists provide
the code of conduct for assuring highest level of ethical as well as moral practice by the
pharmacists (Schenker, Arnold and London 2014). In fact, these bodies also monitor the
pharmacists for assuring that they meet standard of ethics and consumers attain
highest quality medicine products with safety. The code of ethics takes into account
values of CSR (corporate Social Responsibility) and protection of the stakeholder’s
interest with whom the enterprise interacts. The CSR policies that the companies in
pharmaceutical sector have pursued are critically assessed in this study.
Discussion
Ethical issues in the pharmaceutical industry
Clinical pharmacy practice

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Pharmaceutical care
Ethical issues might occur in regular clinical pharmacy practice. Pharmaceutical
care relates to pharmacists responsibility for the drug therapy to achieve best result that
promote patient’s quality of life. Few ethical issues that occur in pharmaceutical care
practice involve – patient’s privacy, confidentiality, duty to warn, autonomy,
competencies to decide about procurement of best medication. Lack of confidentiality
assurance might cause unwillingness to disclose data by the patient, which in turn
creates numerous obstacles to pharmaceutical care. Another crucial role played by
pharmacists is to select best medications for the patients. The pharmacists are required
to balance varied objectives that include- reduction of drug cost, cost utility of drugs,
cost – benefit and total cost of illness (Cdn.intechopen 2018). However, the decisive
position of pharmacists might lead to ethical questions relating to this sector. As a
result, problems might result from advertising activity and other medical relating
activities.
Ethical issue might also arise in certain situation when the pharmacists assists
physician in the therapy but has not been permitted to comment on the shortcomings of
professionals.
Dispensing of drugs
Another ethical issue might occur in professionally dispensing of medicine by the
pharmacists. This requires provision of proper information on drug dosage depending
on several factors, warnings, contraindications and few precautions. There are some
legal regulations that permit the pharmacists to refuse selling of medicine, which in turn
might put patient’s life at risk. Few countries especially UK permit the pharmacists to
decline dispensing of drug due to their individual belief (Allen and Ansel 2013). In these
circumstances, ethical values of pharmacists mainly remains in clash with patient
autonomy and dignity. Nevertheless, numerous cases occur such as- cyberdoctors
creating potential harms, selling drugs without any prescriptions (Cdn.intechopen 2018).
Prescribing of POM (Pharmacy only Medicines)

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Based on the nation’s regulation, the pharmacists are permitted to sell drugs
without prescription from physician. This involves setting of proper regulations by the
authority for ensuring public safety. In this situation, pharmacists has to take decision
regarding selling of medicines to the youngsters. However, non- prescription of
medicine and self-medication creates ethical challenge to the pharmacists as improper
dosing might lead to death of patient (Braithwaite 2013). Thus, serious ethical issue lies
on the pharmacists decision of selling drugs without any prescription and proper
information about the drug.
Extemporaneous pharmaceutical preparations
Extemporaneous pharmaceutical preparations are basically unlicensed medicine.
Some of the country‘s regulation do not need these to be concerned with efficacy,
bioavailability, quality and safety (Publications.parliament 2018). However, ethical
problem occurs with assurance of drug quality in the extemporaneous preparations due
to no need for medicine registration. In this situation, the pharmacists face challenges in
preparing such medicines based on their basic knowledge and giving proper data for
avoiding unintended harms. Nevertheless, stability issues can occur from
extemporaneous preparations, which may involve- loss of uniformity, variation of
bioavailability, degradation of drugs causing toxicity (Darrow et al. 2015).
Ethical issues in production of pharmaceutical commodities
The Pharmaceutical producers are not only producer of drugs as well as dosage
forms but also develop and produce medicine licensed for medical use. Since the
pharmacists are subjected to different rules and regulations with regard to production,
testing and assuring quality of drugs, ethical issues might occur due to improper nations
law (Light, Lexchin and Darrow 2013).
Assurance of quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Assurance of medicine quality include varied aspects such as- production,
control of quality, distribution and monitoring. However, ethical issues might occur while
producing quality medicine as it needs effectual management of the company. If the
management of the pharmaceutical organization does not integrate preventive