Tag Archives: pharmaceuticals

Final Reflection: An Open Mind

Posted on July 23, 2012 by | 1 Comment

In my last post, I described my broadened perception of ethical obligations. I began the project focused on alternative sources of funding pharmaceutical R&D that might create better end solutions for society as a whole, my ethical inquiry focused on ethics of an open mind. What I didn’t expect was how integral an open mind was going to be for me throughout this project.  I started the project with clear expectations that I would be focused on two alternatives: public private ventures (PPVs) and prize fund systems. What I didn’t anticipate was the wide variety of “alternatives” in a widely changing and evolving industry. Continue reading →

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Posted in Mark: Ethical Duties in the Pharmaceutical Industry

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The Court’s Ruling: Moving Forward

Posted on July 1, 2012 by | Comments Off

A lot of yelling. Some jubilance. Some anger. Widespread uncertainty.

That’s how I would characterize the scene Thursday on the steps of the Supreme Court. Few issues have ignited such a fierce debate as the Affordable Healthcare Act, particularly over the past several months. From a legal standpoint the debate came to an end Thursday morning when the court reached a 5-4 decision upholding the most controversial part of the bill, the so called “Individual Mandate.” While I do not want to spend this blog post recounting the decision, I would recommend this article as a good analysis of the Court’s ruling.

Despite this bill’s ability to ignite such an emotional debate, there is still widespread uncertainty on what exactly the bill will do. I believe this video provides a great introduction into some of the reforms without political spin from either side.

You probably noticed the video never mentioned the pharmaceutical/ biotech industries.  But while the industries were not directly targeted, it seems the industries will be affected by default of the healthcare system as a whole undergoing such drastic reforms. Continue reading →

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The ethics of alternative business models in the pharmaceutical industry

Posted on May 24, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Hi all,

I’m Mark. I am a rising sophomore and though I am an undecided major, I have developed some key areas of academic interests since coming to Duke. I am interested in the economics of healthcare, in particular within a rural setting. In terms of economics, I am focused on the distribution and access to a healthcare system and how the level of access impacts the community from both social and health standpoints. I grew up the Appalachian region of north-east Tennessee and south-west Virginia. While growing up, I was able to witness first hand some of the issues surrounding access within the scope of the free health clinics periodically held in the region. While I have an interest in medicine and work experience in labs at both the Duke Medical Center and Georgetown Medical Center, I have been drawn to the policy side of healthcare because of the accessibility of the policy debate at this point in my education.

Before discussing my project, I’d like to highlight a few components of the current pharmaceutical industry and the US healthcare system as a whole.

While I will be explaining the economics of the industry in more detail next week, it is important to understand the current reliance on intellectual property. Continue reading →

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