Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - (Page 13) Pharma whistleblowers As six former Lilly employees successfully bring the company to account over its illegal off-label marketing of Zyprexa, Amelia Tope explores the ethical motivations of whistleblowing. “The public be damned. I’m working for my stockholders.” This famous quote by the American railroad magnate William Vanderbilt sadly echoes what many of the public think about large corporations. And in the age of the internet and ‘instant’ information, the actions of companies are under the spotlight more than ever before. It is therefore not surprising that most businesses now pay much more attention to their public image and strive to be seen as transparent and ‘ethical.’ of in the larger context of productivity and social responsibility. In other words, business ethics is concerned with the responsibilities that a company has to all its stakeholders, of which stockholders are just one. Ethics in the real world In recent times a number of high profile pharmaceutical companies have had to deal with the media fall-out surrounding ‘unethical’ behaviour. In particular they have had to come to terms with the fact that employees are now more likely to speak out. Merck and Bayer both have first hand experience of whistle blowing, but the most recent and largest ever case is that of Eli Lilly and its antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa. Lilly was accused of a long-term campaign aimed at persuading doctors to prescribe Zyprexa to children and the elderly, indications for which the drug does not have FDA approval. Zyprexa Floresco Productions/Getty Images Myth and reality So what is the major concern of business ethics? First let’s draw a line under the myth that business ethics is ‘anti profit.’ Every business has a responsibility to its stockholders and that responsibility is to show them a return on their investment. So the concern of business ethics is not that profit is intrinsically unethical but rather that profit should be thought 16 ON THE MOVE This weeks appointments and promotions 2 FROM THE EDITOR A week in pharma is a long time 3 NEWS Best new antidepressants named 4 NEWS Pfizer’s ‘stomach turning’ UK cinema ad http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS182590 15-Jan-2009 PRN20090115 http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS182590 15-Jan-2009 PRN20090115
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 Contents From the Editor News Calendar Actavis Exclusive Diagnostics Business Ethics On the Move Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 2) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - News (Page 3) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - News (Page 4) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Calendar (Page 5) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Calendar (Page 6) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Actavis Exclusive (Page 7) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Actavis Exclusive (Page 8) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Actavis Exclusive (Page 9) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Diagnostics (Page 10) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Diagnostics (Page 11) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Diagnostics (Page 12) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Business Ethics (Page 13) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Business Ethics (Page 14) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - Business Ethics (Page 15) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - February 11, 2009 - On the Move (Page 16)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.