Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2-25-2025
Abstract
The opioid crisis has had devastating effects across the United States, with the Appalachian region particularly impacted (Harvard School of Public Health, 2023). This paper explores the ethical dilemmas faced by pharmaceutical companies, weighing the pursuit of profit against their moral responsibility to prioritize public health. Through a case study of Cristin, a former opioid user turned healthcare professional, the paper illustrates the real-life consequences of unethical pharmaceutical practices. Utilizing ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, the paper critiques pharmaceutical industry practices related to drug pricing, safety regulations, and aggressive marketing (Stanwick & Stanwick, 2016). While these issues highlight the industry’s role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic, counterarguments suggest that pharmaceutical companies are also integral to medical innovation, shareholder value, and diversion control (U.S. Department of Justice, n.d.). We conclude that ethical considerations must take precedence to ensure patient well-being, and public trust and require stricter regulations, transparent marketing, and equitable drug pricing to mitigate harm and create a more ethical pharmaceutical industry
Course Level
BUMG 6100: Regulations & Ethics in Business
Advisor
Claudia Hanrahan, PhD
Recommended Citation
Miller, Katherine J.; White, James P.; and Shugert, Malachi A., "Balancing Health and Profits: Ethics in the Pharmaceutical Industry" (2025). Business Ethics. 17.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/business_ethics_3100/17