Global Insight

Global insight Reponses

10/23/12

1) No it’s not ok for pharmaceutical firms to send HIV tainted blood medicine to poor countries. According to Rense.com, 10% of new HIV infections in developing countries are due to blood transfusions of tainted blood. In 1984 Bayer Company was documented for selling infected medicine. They did this because they wanted to get rid of their inventory. This document examined in the TIMES showed evidence these corrupt practices by the pharmaceutical. The Times reports that in 1985 FDA's Dr. Harry Meyer willingly helped Bayer cover up "one of the worst drug-related medical disasters in history." The Times reports that three other American pharmaceutical companies were involved in selling tainted blood plasma after a safer version existed: Armour Pharmaceutical, Baxter International and Alpha Therapeutic. The Nuremberg Code which was adopted in 1947 to protect human beings from potentially lethal, non-medical experiments since then. Firms’ executives should go to prison if the firm is found guilty for these practices. Just like doctors go to jail for medical malpractice CEOs should go to jail for running companies that partake in malpractices.

2) According to www.hg.org, every culture and nation had its own values and tradition thus making difficult to have a standard international ethics code. There is no international ethical code of conduct, accepted and followed by all the countries. So when it comes to international every individual and every corporate body must outline its ethical values and every part has to respect the ethical code even though it goes against their beliefs.

3) Yes drug companies should sell their drugs for a cheaper price to developing countries. Some of these countries need the drugs more but cannot afford them. According to a Lecture titled “Pharmaceuticals in Developing Countries” composed by Maxwell, Payments come directly from patients, rather than from insurers. Developing countries do not have the...