Becton Dickinson Company - Moral and Ethic Regarding Aids Infection - Case Study Example

Moral and Ethic al Affiliation) Introduction In the last two decades, there have been cases of health workers acquiring AIDS infection transmitted by unsafe syringes. Nurses could pierce themselves easily after attending to patients with AIDs or other lethal diseases like hepatitis B. The needless syringes were perilous and no day could pass without cases of nurses stuck with needles used on AIDS patient. Becton Dickinson, who had monopolized the market, manufactured these needless syringes. By the year 1990, AIDS had affected over 12000 nurses. The needless syringe could transmit fungal diseases, bacterial and even parasitic diseases. The government faced a huge challenge trying to cope with the high cost of taking care of the nurses who were infected. The cost of taking care of the nurses was over $400 million dollars (Scarre, 2008). It was a significant challenge to the health sector until health unions stepped in to try to address the issue by urging nurses to make needle containers and avoid recapping of needles. However, this effort failed because there was a need for quick action. Most nurses opposed the fort of teaching nurses to handle syringe. It agreed that the department of engineering should come up with means of reducing health workers from exposure to risky syringes. This pressure did not bother Becton Dickinson, who produced about 70% of all needles used in USA. The company focused on making profits rather than manufacturing safe needles. New engineering tools were the main reason for the refusal of making safe syringe. The only step Becton Dickinson opted to perform was to place a warning on needle boxes. The US government stepped in and offered a patent number to Mitchell and Sampson to manufacture safer syringes. Mitchell and Sampson made easy to use and safe needles for nurses. Becton Dickinson purchased a license from Mitchell and Sampson to make the same kind of needle. After manufacturing of 3-cc model, syringe and nurses warned of overpricing. Becton Dickinson company made protective needle for 3-cc that was rarely used by nurses. 5-cc syringes are the most used type of syringe. The price for safe needle was much more expensive than standard needles. High rates for safe needles were a challenge to many hospitals. Besides, the syringe had only limited use as compared to the 5-cc syringe. Therefore, hospitals were reluctant to adopt this safe needle. Becton Dickinson was to face the court because of not designing safe syringes. Mitchell a nurse who argued that the company does not produce 5-cc syringes sued Becton. She went on stating that Becton Dickinson had prevented her hospital from purchasing safe syringe. Becton Company sent his marketing directors to meet government officials and convey that they are against safe needles. Becton refusing to manufacture safe needles provided a platform for his competitor to announce that he was going to produce safe needles. The competitor was going to produce ball kinds of syringes right from 1-cc to 10-cc of safe needles. Thorough analysis carried on Becton syringes revealed they were unsafe and risky for nurses. In the year, 1998, retractable needles were manufactured that were much safe than any other syringe. Although the needle was safe to use, the company could not sell them because of a new phenomenon that had emerged in the health industry. Years back from that time health organizations like GPOS acted like distributing firms to cut the cost of purchasing syringes. There were two groups of distribution during the period. Most clinics and hospitals had an agreement of not purchasing needle from any other supplier. The groups handled purchasing syringes for the health organizations and clinics. In addition to, the group negotiated for medical equipment. Premier and Novation were the two groups titled to perform these duties (Schowengerdt, 2010). The manufacturers of the equipment viewed the organization as greedy fellows creating a conflict of interest between them. Research indicates that the manufacturer paid the group so that they can be favored. Manufacturers who paid more money to the organization were on the list in which member clinics were to purchase medical equipment. Becton Dickinson Company dealing with health institutions and clinics made the Retractable Syringe lack market. There were severe penalties for individuals who were against the idea of purchasing Becton Dickson syringes. The retractable needles could save the government millions of dollars used in caring for nurses AIDS victims. Such an act by Becton Dickinson is inhuman and put health workers health at risk. Hospitals could not purchase safe syringes as it was blocked. After the inaction of Needle stick Safety and Prevention Act into being a law, Becton Dickinson Company faced court charges for violating and risking health care workers through monopolization of the market. Clinics could now purchase Retractable syringes and were compensated a hundred million dollars for the damage they faced on Retractable syringes company. Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a moral theory that explains that the effect of an action is what counts rather than the right behind it (Schowengerdt, 2010). The impact of an action is to judge the work carried out. Utilitarianism focuses on effects of actions undertaken by individuals and broad effect of actions to the society. The purpose of morality is to create an enjoyable life by increasing the happiness and decreasing the levels of bad things. Utilitarianism rejects moral guides based on taboos, traditions, and customs that have harmful effects on lives of individuals. Basing on utilitarianism what makes morality justified is the contribution it carries with it. Good moral should have a positive contribution on human beings to be justifiable. Beckon Company has no weak honest by producing syringes that have adverse effect on the health workers. The priority of Becton Dickinson is to ensure the equipment used for health is safe rather than greed for making a profit. Utilitarianism considers the purpose of morality is to make human life happy. Becton Company was not ensuring this by manufacturing unsafe syringes. Utilitarianism theory helps in evaluation of choices that faces people. It states that the result of an action determines if it is right or wrong. Decisions made should produce the best outcome. Decisions made should follow the proper guideline and maintain happiness in the lives of people. The theory way of evaluation follows a principle that an individual does an act that will produce the best consequence. Becton Company ought to follow this policy when making its choices. The company had the option of manufacturing syringes that are safe, but they never did so. Its choice of producing only 3-cc syringes that nurse’s use rarely is unclear. The company refused to produce five and 10-cc syringes yet nurses mostly use them. Such choices are vulgar and led to dangerous consequences. It was clear after analysis that the company’s syringes are of inferior quality. All this effects proves that Becton company lack good morals of ensuring operation of nurses are safe. Utilitarianism encourages people to judge and make steps that is not only important to them but also favors other groups and individuals. People should take actions, which will maximize the wellbeing of every person. Becton Company made steps and choices that support only a few persons who had greed for money. Their choices never showed concern on other individuals. The cost for changing machines and equipment shows greed were because refusing to make safe syringes. Utilitarianism theory goes on stating that any judgment and choices made based on the interest of people is right. Decisions made should be with a caring heart and consider every kind of person. Utilitarianism rejects options and actions that are morally wrong. Becton Company shows little concern for the health workers. The company does not produce safe syringe. They were unwilling to provide 5-cc syringes that nurse often. The theory states that the happiness of many people is the priority. Utilitarianism has an advantage to the society. People often think that morality is personal and depends only on the individual’s desire and belief. The theory elaborates this by giving a method of showing which moral is right or wrong. Signing of the Needle stick Safety and Prevention Act proved that morality and actions should keep in mind the safety of other individuals. Needle stick Safety and Prevention Act helped clinics buy protection materials and equipment. Utilitarianism encourages that every decision made depends on the results and consequences felt. Predicting of future results will assist in ensuring that human beings are at risk. The results of using unsafe syringes were clear, but Becton Company hesitated to manufacture new types of syringes. Utilitarianism considers this immoral and illegal. Rights (i.e., Kant) Kant bases his thinking on right on no instrumental terms that does not act as means of achieving someone’s desire or getting to make something but on wellbeing of individuals considering the number of people made happy by the choices. Rights are not only laws that aid in people gaining freedom. Authorities establish rights for individuals by laws that are justified by individuals. Kant views individuals as free with equal dignity and can guide and control them. Every person’s dignity makes it wrong for a person to abuse you or use you against your will. Respect for human dignity is paramount. People treatment should not be as a means but as an end. Treating an individual as a means is inhuman (Schowengerdt, 2010). Most individuals use their individuals with an aim of advancing their interests. Treating a person as an end shows respect to his/her dignity, people should be willing to choose what is best for them. Becton Company falls short of ensuring it respects the dignity of the health workers and nurses. Becton Dickinson Company is using the nurses as a means of achieving their desires of gaining profits from the sale of syringes. Respect for health workers and nurse’s dignity through providing them with safe needles to protect them from disease infection is appealing. Kant elaborates on the negative right of individuals. Every individual imposes these rights on him or her. The reason prevents interference of any activity done by a person and should be respected. An example of this right is right to live or put on no risk. Becton Company disobeyed this right by manufacturing syringes to nurses that could place their health at risk. AIDS is a lethal disease that killed many nurses during that time. Becton Company blocked push by nurses for the supply of Retractable syringes due to signings made with GPOs. Becton declined selling of Retractable. It was a violation of right to do anything with your product. Kant’s explanation of morality aims to justify positive rights. Persons right to freedom is worth if the individual can exercise the freedom. This right to liberty implies that every person has to secure his minimum level of well-being. These rights are positive rights and include the right to medical care and health. Becton Dickinson Company violated the positive right that entitled every person to proper medical attention and health through not offering safe facilities for nurses. Infringing on the rights of nurses is inhuman. Positive rights mainly stand for the welfare of the unfortunate in the society. The nurses were unfortunate due to infringement of their rights. Their right to safe medical equipment that could not place their health at risk was infringed. The company being behind all this is Becton Company. Kant theory on moral basing on rights states that before one takes action they need to consider whether the acts will respect the fundamental rights of the people involved. Such moral and ethics never appeared when Becton Dickinson Company moved. Placing of appropriate priority is essential when rights of people are conflicting. Becton Company misplaced their priorities. Their priorities were making a profit rather than manufacturing of ideal syringes that were safe. It is, therefore, clear that rights play an essential role in ensuring maintenance of ethics. Justice Justice is moral, which encourages the fair action of individuals in the allocation of resources and inputs. Justice is mostly apprehensive with the distribution of resources to individuals in institutions in an appropriate manner. It mainly deals with dealing with fair treatment to workers. Justice provides the right for an individual to enjoy privileges in equitable and equal manner. Observing justice will result in people receiving what they deserve in reasonable manner. Becton Dickinson Company does not express justice to the nurses. They refuse to provide nurses with syringes that they need. They were unwilling to manufacture 5-cc syringes and 3-cc syringes that the nurses use always. This act ruins the health of nurses by putting their health at risk of infection from AIDS. Besides, Becton Company has unfair dealings with GPOs that supply syringes to clinics. Becton company unfair dealings make it hard for hospitals to purchase retractable syringes. Lack of justice by this company is due to the greed of money and desire to make more profits. Treating people equally and equitably is a way of promoting their rights by providing them with what is entitled to them. Therefore, Justice intends to promote fair treatments of individuals. Care Ethic of care states that there is a need for extra consideration for the vulnerable people in the society. In the society, vulnerable people face different challenges depending on their situations. This theory aims at marinating moral by considering promotion of interest and needs of the helpless persons in the society. This theory explains how people are vulnerable than other and should be provided with care. This theory encourages mutual efforts between people rather than dependency relationship. The theory supports considering the vulnerable people in the society. In our communities, care has focused on unfortunate women forgetting other vulnerable persons hidden in cocoons. The vulnerable people in our case are the health workers and nurses. Risk life of nurses due to infection with AIDS makes them vulnerable. The manufacturers who provide them with health equipment used in treating patients do not care for them. Becton Company does not express little sense of trust to nurses by refusing to manufacture safe syringes. The type of needles made is risky. Companies that come up with effective needle-like the Retractable Syringe were restricted from selling them to clinics by the GPOs organizations that have signed a seven-year deal of supplying unsafe syringes to health agencies. Virtue Virtue is a moral that provides principles and rules that guides individuals (Ambrose, D., & Cross, 2009). The aim of this moral ethic is ensuring maintenance of certain ideal, which focuses towards the common good of the people. This ethic reflects on what human beings are capable of being. Virtues are character traits that help humans be the way they look. Virtues act as path for pursuing what people have often opted to adopt. This ethic develops in us through learning. The virtue of a person should develop the same way his/her surrounding behaves. As people grow, their virtues become too and turn into personalities. Virtues like generosity and compassion lack in Becton Dickinson Company. The company is not ready to help nurses by manufacturing safe syringes. The company is interested in making a profit only rather than nurses to favor their operations use improving equipment. Lack of virtue like generosity shows greed in Becton Company. The company has unfair dealings with GPOs to block other manufacturers from selling their syringes to clinics (Hart, 2003). It is a clear indication that there is a lack of virtues in the clinics. Conclusion Becton Dickinson Company needs to face severe judgment for putting innocent lives of nurses to risk. It is inhuman for the company to hesitate to manufacture 5-cc and 3-cc syringes used mainly in operation by the nurses during treating of patients. Suing of the company is reasonable for not making safe needles. The government and health unions had ordered for safe needles because the lives of nurses were at risk for AIDS and other lethal diseases. It is worse for Becton Dickinson Company to block clinics and health centers from purchasing safe syringes. Any company found to buy Retractable syringes was to face heavy fine. All this displays Becton Company to be greedy for money and profit making rather than ensuring their equipment are safe. The most useful theory in evaluating the case study is Utilitarianism. It is a suitable theory because of what counts during action and choices. The life of individual should happy at all cost. The priority for a person is their happy life rather than profit and money making as seen by Becton Company. One may view the action they are undertaking to be right but what determines it to be wrong or right is the result of the work. It is then clear that measures and choices made should maintain happiness. This theory is useful because it goes a step ahead to explain that decisions made should favor other individuals too. References Hart, H. (2003). Law, liberty, and morality. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. Schowengerdt, C. (2010). Morals, ethics and religions. Zanesville, OH: Y-City Publishing, LLC. Scarre, G. (2008). Utilitarianism. London: Routledge. Maliks, R., & Føllesdal, A. Kantian theory and human rights. Ambrose, D., & Cross, T. (2009). Morality, ethics, and gifted minds. New York: Springer. Read More