In 2002, the drugstore chain Walgreens and the
pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly were sued after a Florida consumer received an
unsolicited free sample of the antidepressant drug Prozac Weekly in the mail.
The recipient had kept her depression secret for many years—from her family,
friends, and employers—fearing that she would suffer repercussions if her
mental condition was known. Imagine her surprise when she received Prozac
Weekly in the mail, along with a letter from Walgreens and her doctors. The
sample itself was supplied free by the manufacturer, Eli Lilly. She filed a
class action suit alleging invasion of privacy, unfair trade practices, and
commercial exploitation of confidential medical information by all parties.66 Is it acceptable for drug makers to market products
directly to drugstore customers, using past patient records as indicators of
the drugs they might need? Are patients helped by this practice? Are they
harmed? What about their rights to privacy? What are the dangers of drug
companies being closely aligned with drugstore chains?
Read Situation 3 on page 368 of Ch. 10 in Managing
Business Ethics.
Post a 175- to 350-word response to the posed questions at
the end of the situation scenario.
·
Is it acceptable for drug makers to market products
directly to drugstore customers, using past patient records as indicators of
the drugs they might need? Are there any legal or ethical ramifications
doing so?
·
Are patients helped by this practice? Are they
harmed?
·
What about their rights to privacy?
·
What are the dangers of drug companies being closely
aligned with drugstore chains? What might be the ethical dilemma created
