Star Alpha Medicine Service - Essay Example

Star Alpha Medicine Introduction The continuous effort of modern medicine give rise to the birth and development of many drugs designed and engineered to cure illnesses such as cancer, which have taken millions of lives before. The endless researches on the nature of diseases, old and new, and the appropriate and effective drugs needed, this quest that our scientists embark, shed light and give hope to many patients enduring a painful battle out there, having a hard ride yet fighting strongly and holding on. Thanks to science and the persevering minds behind the developments of every drug meant to be beacon of hope. Life, above all is a precious thing and a sacred entity that is worthy of every respect. Yet, the human mind is an abode of many intentions and desires. Main Body The Case An example of a situation that human could suffer from his own innovations in the field of medicine is the case involving a drug called TGN1412 in England, where 6 lives were threatened in March 2006. This incident highlighted ethical issues in clinical study design and safety monitoring. The main stakeholders in the case given include the StarAlpha Medicines, with its research and Development Department directly involved, and Country X with the direct participation of its citizen specifically the poor women who will be the potential subjects of the clinical trials to be carried out. StarAlpha Medicines could benefit a lot if the CEO's suggestion will materialize. The said pharmaceutical company, as the future main distributor of the drugs being developed, will be able to achieve skyrocketing sales. Also, if the strict procedures in clinical trials being observed in Europe will not be followed and taken for granted, instead it will be carried out in country X where a more favorable conditions for clinical trial are offered, it will be an effective mean of cost-cutting on the part of the pharmaceutical company - less expense but big revenues. Country X on the other hand, will reap both the positive effects and the possible negative outcome of the test. If the drug will be administered to poor, sick women, and the result will be successful, then Country X has found a cheap and easy way of providing treatment to its sick citizens. However, if the wellness and safety of the women to be subjected to the study will be overlooked, instead of being recipients of good health and a cure to their illness, they will be exposed to potential and real health risks. It could be possible that their health will be more endangered or that their system could possibly develop a negative response to the drugs which could then end to severe complications. Administering the drug without following a strict procedure in taking the needed test for its effectiveness and safety could be reasons for overlooking important concerns to its effects to the human body. A series of physiological reactions could take place beyond the control and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. Problems not anticipated by the Research Department will be to the expense of the patients' welfare, the poor citizens desperate for cure to their illness are the ones who are always at risk, the ones who will mostly suffer the consequences of irresponsible clinical trials. Clinical trials, obviously subject human life into studies with the objectives that meaningful outcome will be achieved or for hypothesis being tested to be proven or disprove. These trials involve people - it could be a mother with kids leaning on her, a father with a family depending on him, or a boy who spends his day in the hospital bed when he should have a cheerful and sunny day in the park. These subjects are people with hearts that beat, with life worthy of utmost respect. And so, that's why ethics in the practice of medicine need to be of important considerations. Ethical considerations could be influenced by philosophical, religious, moral or legal perspectives and beliefs. In the conduct of clinical trials, one of the important elements to be considered in order to ensure the success of the study is the inclusion criteria, as what was stated in Journal in their article Ethical Issues during the Conduct of Clinical Trials by Henry Silverman. This is to secure that those to be subjects of the study will receive the possible maximum benefit from a newly developed treatment or from a newly formulated drug. More importantly, this will give assurance that the subjects will not be exposed to unnecessary risks. The profiles of the subjects such as their age, their health needs and history need to be considered in this case, not just simply because they bear a specific illness and a certain new product could possibly offer the necessary treatment. The Ethics of Consequentialism/Utilitarianism The belief on consequentialism says that "we ought to do whatever maximizes good consequences" so that it does not necessarily matter what kind of thing we do, what is important is that it promotes the greatest good (John Carroll University). Utilitarianism is one type of conqequentialism. Specifically utititarianism approach promotes the "ethical choice" that "produces the greatest excess of benefit over harm" (Reynolds). This approach to ethical decision-making states that you should choose the action or policy that has the best overall consequences for all people who are directly or indirectly affected. The goal is to find the single greatest good by balancing and interests of all affected parties" (Reynolds). Relating this theory to our case, the perceived solution of Star Alpha Medicine is indeed excellent as it actually promotes mutualism. On the part of the medical company, the conducting of tests to developing Asian nations would save them both time and monetary costs. On ther other hand, recipients from the developing Asian nations will receive medicines for free. Obviously, for the medical companies this is an advantage thus a positive action. On the part of the recipients, the result is vague. If the medicine proves to be safe and effective, the return out of this action will be positive. On ther other hand, it if is proven to be hramful, the patients are better off not taking the medicines. Over-all the return is positive. Now the question is will the return that the medicine company gets outweigh the slight possibility of damage that it brings to the recipients Deontology, The Virtue of Duty "Deontological ethics or is an approach to ethics that determines goodness or rightness from examining acts, rather than third-party consequences of the act as in consequentialism, or the intentions of the person doing the act as in virtue ethics. Deontologists look at rule and duties" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Thus, in our case, the duty to make sure that human beings are protected and safe would outweigh any benefits. Given the fact that the possible side-effect of the medicine is not ruled out, the company is bound to the duty of not distributing it to any individual. Conclusion The study must necessarily include follow-up check to the health status of the patient and a close monitoring should be conducted. The patients' best interest should be given top priority. In this case given, it is clear that the company is not taking at heart the safety of their potential subjects shown by their decision to avoid adopting strict regulations which is already available and could ensure them of a highly-standard procedures. The intention to resort to low-standard regulations shows that the company's benefit in terms of cost-cutting and big revenues is on top of everything else. If one day I find myself in the dilemma whether to support a cause that will give benefits to myself or my work by pursuing something which could potentially harm the helpless and less-fortunate people in my surroundings, I will weigh the consequences first before I act on the issue at hand. Well, if it is really the company's desire to reap prestige, revenue and recognition if it will be marketing a certain drug that will definitely become a great scientific breakthrough, I believe that it got to lose something in exchange of something bigger. And I will suggest that we better do it in a credible way that we know and are at hand that putting the company's name at stake. I say that we better follow a costly and intricate procedure than adopt a lousy one and end up in the drain afterwards. It is best to carry out the project in a sure way than take chances and compromise the life of other people. Let me quote Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans for Life. He said, "Everything created before the creation of human life was for the creation of human life. The setting God created for human life and the way He created human life and the way He continues to create human life, gives human life special value." Therefore, no endorsement for the CEO's suggestion will come from me. Word count: 1, 504 Works Cited John Carroll University. http://www.jcu.edu. 14 November 2009 . Reynolds, George. Ethics in Information Technology. 2nd. D. Slack, 2009. Silverman, Henry. HYPERLINK "http://pats.atsjournals.org/misc/terms.shtml" The American Thoracic Society Journal. "Ethical Issues during the Conduct of Clinical Trials". Accessed: November 10, 2009. HYPERLINK "http://pats.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/full/4/2/180" http://pats.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/full/4/2/180 The Biotech Insider Forum. http://www.biotechinsider.com/forum/forum.phplxpe=127&lxptc=1255893418-63871 Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. http://en.wikipedia.org. 9 November 2009. 14 November 2009 . Read More