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Billings Pharmaceuticals Case Study

1. Beth is facing a dilemma that not many in sales positions would face as the drug she sold proudly to numerous physicians and psychiatrists are causing their patients to gain large amounts of weight (20-100 pounds) and their blood sugar levels have increased well above normal all within a year of starting patients on the drug. Beth is the representative for Billings and therefore the physicians and psychiatrists hold her accountable for the extremely negative and side effects the drug has and have now caused their patients to have even more health concerns. Her job of promoting a drug that causes such issues is causing her to have doubt due to her company’s lack of responsibility when it comes to owning up for the side effects of the drug.

Beth is now facing the decision of continuing to work for a company that is now “throwing” money at a problem without any concern for the health of their customers that provide $4 billion annually in revenues for Billings. She originally was so proud to work for the company due to its code of ethics but it seems now that she is work for a company that doesn’t live up to those principles when it matters most.

2. The code of ethics at Billings does not seem to be influencing sales management decisions at all, a meaningful way would mean that they had owned up to the fact that there are concerns about the drug being linked to diabetes, whether it has been scientifically proven or not, due to their customers (doctors) experiencing issues amongst their patients. In fact they have decided to “push” the drug at primary-care and prison based doctors so the effects will likely go unnoticed. Unless their code of ethics mentions not caring for your customers and continuing to sell a product that could sell people that could kill them or further endanger their health they are no longer following that code.

3. Beth’s role is to know everything there is about the drug, its side effects,...