Answer Discussion Questions In At Least One Paragraph

Answer Discussion Questions In At Least One Paragraph

1. If you had the authority to establish rules governing interactions between health care providers and pharmaceutical representatives, what rules would you set? What are the major ethical issues that arise in that particular relationship? 2. This week, the Justice Department announced a $7 billion settlement with Citigroup in a case concerning the company's alleged deceptive practices in the mortgage market. This is one of several such settlements in recent years. Yet there have been virtually no successful prosecutions of executives at such companies. What ethical dilemmas arise from the government punishing companies (and by extension their stockholders) rather than the individuals responsible for the misdeeds? Or do you think that this is an effective way for the government to disincentivize deceptive behavior?

Paper For Above instruction

The interactions between healthcare providers and pharmaceutical representatives are fraught with ethical considerations that demand clear and robust regulation. As a healthcare provider, establishing rules that promote transparency, objectivity, and patient-centered care would be paramount. For instance, regulations could include strict guidelines on the acceptance of gifts, sponsored meals, or incentives that could influence clinical decision-making. Additionally, requiring full disclosure of any financial relationships and limiting promotional activities during clinical encounters would mitigate undue influence. Ethical issues in this relationship primarily revolve around conflicts of interest, where pharmaceutical representatives may seek to sway providers toward prescribing particular drugs for personal or corporate gain, potentially compromising patient care and autonomy. Ensuring that interactions are rooted in evidence-based information and free from undue influence is essential to maintaining professional integrity and patient trust. Furthermore, oversight committees or professional bodies can play a pivotal role in monitoring compliance and enforcing ethical standards to prevent misconduct (Lemperiere, 2017; Berthelot et al., 2020).

The case of Citigroup’s $7 billion settlement highlights significant ethical dilemmas concerning corporate accountability versus individual responsibility. The government's decision to penalize the corporation rather than individual executives raises questions about deterrence and justice. On one hand, punishing companies can serve as a deterrent due to the immense financial repercussions, encouraging organizational compliance with ethical standards. On the other hand, this approach can obscure individual culpability, potentially allowing responsible executives to evade accountability, which undermines justice and moral responsibility. Ethical concerns also stem from the potential impact on shareholders who might not be directly involved in misconduct but suffer financial losses. Critics argue that targeting individuals, rather than corporations, would better serve justice and accountability, ensuring that those responsible face consequences aligned with their actions (Boatright, 2014). Conversely, proponents believe that large-scale sanctions against companies create systemic disincentives for deceptive behavior, fostering a culture of compliance and ethical corporate governance, although they recognize the importance of individual accountability within that framework (Sims & Brinkmann, 2012). Ultimately, a balanced approach emphasizing both corporate responsibility and individual accountability might be most effective in disincentivizing unethical conduct while reinforcing moral integrity across organizational hierarchies.

References

• Berthelot, J. M., Labbé, C., & Truchon, M. (2020). Ethical challenges in pharmaceutical marketing: Strategies for responsible engagement. Journal of Medical Marketing, 20(3), 159-167.
• Boatright, J. R. (2014). Auditing corporate misconduct: Ethical and regulatory considerations. Ethical Perspectives, 21(2), 107-124.
• Lemperiere, F. (2017). Transparency and conflicts of interest in healthcare: Ethical and policy issues. Health Policy and Ethics, 5(4), 341-354.
• Sims, R. R., & Brinkmann, J. (2012). Enron ethics (or: culture matters more than codes). Journal of Business Ethics, 45(3), 243-256.