Community Good in Pharmaceutical Industries - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theCommunity Good in Pharmaceutical Industries. Answer: In all the industries in the world, one would expect that the healthcare sector is on the forefront of having the best Corporate Social Responsibility. However, most pharmaceutical industries or companies have shown irresponsibility in what they are supposed to do. There have been lack of commitment in reducing the escalation of unoriginal drugs in the markets. Globally, drug manufacturing companies have been forced to produce two categories of drugs. For example, generic and original drugs.The effect is splilled on the public who are the consumers of these drugs. The healthcare sector has been seen as lagging behind in terms of being a responsible corporate sector by failing to create a friendly environment that encompasses the Corporate Social Responsibility (Trong Tuan, 2012). Other entrants into the healthcare sector are at risk of having a poor societal relationship with the community. Such other small players may include pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical industry has made a business of marketing and selling drugs, which they do not do accordingly. Sometimes these pharmaceutical industries mislead the doctors and the public about safety issues by giving false evidence on the efficacy of drugs (Collins, 2010). They fail to inform the public cleary of the impacts of their drugs. Consequently, many people including doctors and physicians sometimes find it hard to prescribe which type of drug to patients. In many countries, there are many industries where some of them do not manufacture genuine drugs. Such drugs, called generic may have effects on the patients if used or may not work efficiently as original ones. The pharmaceutical industry is facing serious challenges due to the manufacturing of generic drugs that are increasing in quantity and popularity as well. This has become a global concern and a challenge to pharmaceutical industries. To the public, it has become hard to distinguish between genuine and fake drugs. The government and insurers also are putting pressure on them to lower the prices so that the public may not find it too pinching. The enacting of policies and vigilance by the governments has now caused the drug makers much headache. Globally, this issue of drugs is a challenge to many people; the public and the hospitals and the problem worsened when the pharmaceutical industries realize that there are a few drugs in the pipeline (Faria, 2007). There is very little or none that the society can do to avoid involving in this problem. They depend on the prescription of the doctors, physicians, what is available in pharmacies, and their ability to afford drugs. This issue has made it very hard for many people to trust the pharmaceutical companies. Some people think that they are out to exploit the public by not caring about their health. Hospitals and physicians feel guilty of the same problems ranging from over-utilization of profitable procedures and examinations on properly insured patients. On the other hand, patients that are not well-insured and those that are not insured struggle to get services worsening the relationship between the hospitals and the society, and the government as well. At the same time, pharmaceutical industries have increased their budgets for marketing in order to maximize profits. While they do this, they often lay off their workers so as to manipulate their quarterly results to appear favorable in the eyes of the public. In this case, hospitals which seem to be lacking incentives usually fail to improve proper utilization of their prospects (Salton, Jones, 2015). It is not only that the society pays for these actions, but the patients suffer a great deal because of improper and excessive therapies arising from these poor services and wrong drugs. It is important therefore to look at ways in which pharmaceutical companies can ensure that these acts are minimized and the public is not infringed its rights to obtain quality health services and to ensure that the quality of healthcare services is upheld and strengthened. Companies outside healthcare sector have shown how to achieve strategic balance with social, environment, and the society. Environmental issues have been a concern and a big problem that threatens the health and life of Gods creature. Drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical industries must take care of the environment by ensuring that pollution and disposal of wastes are done in a proper manner (McDonald, 2014). Ways to Address the Challenge The issue of pharmaceutical drugs is a real global problem. The physicians and the public are extremely confused about which direction to take when a prescription has been done or is being done. There are varieties of drugs in the market that may be used to treat a particular disease, but some of these drugs are never genuine. This has lowered the public trust on the manufacturers, hospitals, and physicians. Thus, the CSR of this healthcare sector has failed to address issues of concern and win back the public trust. It is therefore important to look at a few things that may be done to address such issues. If not addressed in time, the consequences on the public may not be so friendly and may call for a suffering sort of. The governments should be at the frontline in fighting for the rights of the public by coming up with policies that will address the issues. Pharmaceutical industries should be regulated and checked to ensure that they manufacture genuine drugs alongside enlightening the public through their marketing, the news about their drugs. These policies will be able to guide the public from exploitation by the manufacturers. At the same time, the patients should have a proper or complete cover so that they access and benefit from quality services available at the hospitals that they may not access due to financial problems (Takahashi, Ellen, Brown, 2013). Apart from enacting proper policies to deal with exploitations, the public should be engaged and told about the dangers of purchasing unapproved drugs from unauthorized dealers. The use of these drugs may endanger the health of human beings. Because this is a global issue, it is important that governments come up with a common policy to regulate the industries and bar them from manipulating the public. Hospitals and healthcare centers are supposed to be at the forefront in supporting and encouraging CSR. Physicians, doctors, and pharmacists get in touch with the public very frequently, and therefore they must develop a good relationship with the public (Ha?yry, Takala, Herissone-Kelly, 2005). It is important to look at ways in which pharmaceutical companies can ensure that these acts are minimized and the public is not infringed its rights to obtain quality health services and to ensure that the quality of healthcare services is upheld and strengthened (Smith, 2010). Companies outside healthcare sector have shown how to achieve strategic balance with social, environment, and the society. Environmental issues have been a concern and a big problem that threatens the health and life of Gods creature. Drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical industries must take care of the environment by ensuring that pollution and disposal of wastes are done in a proper manner. There should be proper guidelines for disposing of wastes by pharmaceutical companies so that they do not cause environmental hazards. Therefore, many people feel the pinch of high prices for drugs that would be much affordable if the manufacturing industries do the right things by avoiding extreme thirst to maximize their profits at the expense of the patients. Not only the pharmaceutical industries exploiting the public but even the health insurance companies, have also taken the advantage of taking the public for a ride (Trong Tuan, 2012). They are never transparent in their operations. The public spend a lot of money to insure their health but what they reap is not commensurate to what they subscribe. It is thus necessary that the government take great initiative to check what the health insurance companies do to the public to ensure they do not mistreat the public. I suggest that the manufacturers of such drugs should be barred from producing such drugs. There should be constant checks, so that only genuine and original drugs allowed in the market. But, this would be possible if developed countries play their part in curbing this problem. We believe that these drugs are mostly produced in developed countries. References Collins, S. (2010). An exploration of Corporate Social Responsibility and Machiavellianism in future healthcare professionals (1st ed.). Faria, A. (2007). Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Latin America: A Critical Standpoint. Social Responsibility Journal, 3(1), 23-33. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17471117200700003 Ha?yry, M., Takala, T., Herissone-Kelly, P. (2005). Bioethics and social reality (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Rodopi. McDonald, S. (2014). Social responsibility clusters arising from social partnerships. Social Responsibility Journal, 10(2), 331-347. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/srj-12-2012-0152 Salton, R., Jones, S. (2015). The corporate social responsibility reports of global pharmaceutical firms. British Journal Of Healthcare Management, 21(1), 21-25. https://dx.doi.org/10.12968/bjhc.2015.21.1.21 Smith, A. (2010). Corporate social responsibility in the healthcare insurance industry: a cause-branding approach. International Journal Of Electronic Healthcare, 5(3), 284. https://dx.doi.org/10.1504/ijeh.2010.034177 Smith, A. (2010). Corporate social responsibility in the healthcare insurance industry: a cause-branding approach. International Journal Of Electronic Healthcare, 5(3), 284. https://dx.doi.org/10.1504/ijeh.2010.034177 Takahashi, T., Ellen, M., Brown, A. (2013). Corporate social responsibility and hospitals: US theory, Japanese experiences, and lessons for other countries. Healthcare Management Forum, 26(4), 176-179. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hcmf.2013.07.003 Trong Tuan, L. (2012). Corporate social responsibility, leadership, and brand equity in healthcare service. Social Responsibility Journal, 8(3), 347-362. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17471111211247929 Trong Tuan, L. (2014). Corporate social responsibility, ethics, and corporate governance. Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4), 547-560. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17471111211272110