Corruption of Pharmaceutical Companies on the United States - Research Paper Example

? Corruption of Pharmaceutical Companies on the United s Corruption of Pharmaceutical Companies in the United s The soleessence of the pharmaceutical companies all over the world is improved healthcare services. This is through the production and dispensation of medicines that work in relation to the various medical issues (Harris, 2009). Many companies are looking for new ways to ensure that they do not adhere to the expectations of the law. This is by finding new ways and means to make more profits from the people they were supposed to be helping. This had led to rampant corruption and fraud in the industry. Estimates from the FBI data bank show that cases of pharmaceutical fraud cost the common tax payer close to $60 billion each and every year. The United States government acknowledges that there is inconsistency in the operations of the pharmaceutical industry. They lack sufficient evidence to pin the major corporations in relation to gross financial misconduct. It is expected that each industry and the company is represented by best practises during and after industrial manufacture. One of the greatest issues of fraud in the pharmaceutical industry is experienced at this stage. The industry does not pay heed to the necessary set standards in relation to industrial manufacture. This has led to laxity in adherence of the manufacturing regulations that have been set. Good Manufacturing Practises have their own unique and agreed upon ways that are expected of the pharmaceutical companies. They are expected to ensure that they have the best policies to compliment the work environment and the personnel. This means that the staff should be highly trained. They should understand the expectations of their professional body. They should use their knowledge, skills and competencies to further the pharmaceutical company and its general cause. Many pharmaceutical companies do not take into account the GMP regulations. They disregard record keeping, product examination before entry into the market, strict adherence to the set policies during manufacturing and packaging. This brings in a situation which allows so many loop holes in the manufacturing of the drugs. This endangers the lives of so many people who rely heavily on the GMP of the pharmaceutical companies (Harris, 2009). Many people have taken medicines from the pharmacists with the aim of dealing with one issue that they may have. The down fall of the pharmaceutical company comes in when they do not adequately explain the contents of the drugs on the market. This is termed as off label marketing. It is expected that all medicines that are in the market have their uses identified and explained. This is one of the stipulations from the FDA. The Food and Administration Act insists on the need to make sure that people know the contents that they are taking. Pharmaceutical companies withhold this information totally. This is to ensure that they have the illegal flexibility of offering some drugs to clients for other ailments other than those prescribed. This ensures that the companies make a financial kill where they have not necessarily invested (Harris, 2009). It also creates a scenario where many drugs are taken without due consideration for their overall purpose. This renders the pharmaceutical companies with a rag tag that shows them gambling with the lives of many of their customers. FDA insists on this protocol based on the inherent need to avoid many cases where people harm themselves unknowingly. This is brought about by the impact of medicines that have not been accurately branded. Branding is crucial; it identifies the components in medicine and all their right proportions. A person may take the wrong medication and suffer from severe allergies. The ingredients and the components that caused the allergies might not have been adequately branded. In the event that the drugs harm the person taking then, lawsuits are filed. This is because the components that caused the harm had not been properly branded. This happened some years back when Forest Pharmaceuticals was sued for selling a drug that had not gone through the approval process stipulated in the FDA. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals are also on record for selling a drug that had long been withdrawn from the market (Harris, 2009). The pharmaceutical companies are always seen to be representing their interests. They come up with drugs that are in line with what will attract people. This means that the pharmaceutical companies will make a lot of profits (Harris, 2009). Currently, there are so many illnesses and diseases that do not have cures or vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies have cashed in on the Cancer, AIDS, Ebola and Parkinson’s disease. There is no known fact that the pharmaceutical companies have the cure for these diseases. The unethical issues come in when they use these diseases as a platform to ensure that they have maximized their profits. They come up with very many trials and researches that cost billions. This is from governments, individuals and private sectors. The US government is known to spend billions in the form of healthcare programs. All these researches and programs do not amount to anything significant. There is an example that has been used to define the greedy and corrupt nature of the industry. The “medicine business” is adequately represented in one lawsuit that was filed by some Nigerian families. They presented themselves in court with a lawsuit over one pharmaceutical company. This was because the company tested an illegal drug on children. Pfizer shamelessly went to Nigeria. At the Nigerian camp, there was so much destitution and desperation about what to do with many of the children that were suffering from some common ailments. The company ignored all procedure and protocol and tested the Trovan drug on children in the camp. It should be noted that tests and administration of the drug had been banned in the United States. The experiment ended up killing eleven children and maiming many others. The condition of those left surviving was very dire as many had permanent brain damage and paralysis (Harris, 2009). In conclusion, the pharmaceutical companies in the United States have converted the industry into a cash cow. They are unconcerned about the lives of the individuals who they are dealing with as they continue to put their lives at risk. It is essential for the US government to put in place strict measures to cut back on the corruption, negligence and the money mindedness of the companies. This is by imposing harsh penalties to those who violate the code of practise. This is because the death, permanent and severe damage cannot be replaced by frivolous lawsuits and compensation (Harris, 2009). It is impossible to compensate the lives of people in any form. It is even more disheartening when the mistakes made, are made by people whose main intention was to draw benefit from such a serious situation. References Harris, G. (2009). Pfizer Pays $ 2.3 Billion to Settle Marketing Case. New York: New York Times. Read More