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Intellectual property and pharmaceutical drugs: an ethical analysis
Business Ethics Quarterly : the Journal of the Society for Business Ethics
|December 20, 2005
Summary
The pharmaceutical industry faces ethical scrutiny over drug accessibility and patents. This paper evaluates arguments and suggests industry self-regulation for global drug access.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical ethics
- Global health equity
- Intellectual property law
Background:
- Ethical criticisms regarding pharmaceutical patents and drug accessibility for impoverished populations.
- Industry's defense based on economic and legal justifications, creating a communication divide.
- Disparities in access to life-saving medications in developing nations and the US.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present and evaluate ethical, economic, and legal arguments surrounding pharmaceutical patents and drug accessibility.
- To determine the ethical responsibilities of the pharmaceutical industry in providing access to essential medicines.
- To explore the shared responsibilities of individuals, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in ensuring drug availability.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of ethical, economic, and legal arguments from all stakeholders.
- Examination of the pharmaceutical industry's ethical obligations.
- Review of responsibilities for governments, NGOs, and individuals.
Main Results:
- Identification of a significant communication gap between the pharmaceutical industry and critics/underserved populations.
- Evaluation of the ethical imperative for drug accessibility versus industry's need for innovation incentives.
- Assessment of the multifaceted responsibilities in addressing global health inequities.
Conclusions:
- The pharmaceutical industry has an ethical responsibility to improve drug accessibility for the needy.
- Shared responsibility among industry, governments, NGOs, and individuals is crucial for global health equity.
- Recommendation for the pharmaceutical industry to establish an international self-regulation code to address drug accessibility and ethical concerns.
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