Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5992

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Dresser R.
Private-sector research ethics: marketing or good conflicts management The 2005 John J. Conley Lecture on Medical Ethics
Theor Med Bioeth. 2006;27(2):115-39 2006; 27:(2):115-39
http://www.springerlink.com/content/bq855531108k52p6/

Abstract:

Pharmaceutical companies are major sponsors of biomedical research. Most scholars and policymakers focus their attention on government and academic oversight activities, however. In this article, I consider the role of pharmaceutical companies’ internal ethics statements in guiding decisions about corporate research and development (R&D). I review materials from drug company websites and contributions from the business and medical ethics literature that address ethical responsibilities of businesses in general and pharmaceutical companies in particular. I discuss positive and negative uses of pharmaceutical companies’ ethics materials and describe shortcomings in the companies’ existing ethics programs. To guide employees and reassure outsiders, companies must add rigor, independence, and transparency to their R&D ethics programs.

Keywords:
Biomedical Research*/economics Biomedical Research*/ethics Conflict of Interest*/economics Drug Industry/economics Drug Industry/ethics* Ethics, Business* Ethics, Research* Guidelines/standards Humans Marketing*/economics Marketing*/ethics Private Sector/economics Private Sector/ethics Professional Corporations/ethics* Social Responsibility