Pharmaceutical Ethics

BETH 743 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The pharmaceutical industry plays a critical role in global health, driving innovation in drug development while operating within complex regulatory frameworks designed to balance safety, access, and affordability. This course will explore the ethical dimensions of the pharmaceutical landscape, examining the responsibilities of key stakeholders - including drug manufacturers, regulators, healthcare professionals, and patients - through the lens of contemporary bioethics, law, and policy. We will examine the key ethical challenges shaping pharmaceutical regulation, including tensions between innovation and access, profit and patient well-being, regulation and autonomy, and transparency and commercial interests. Topics will explore the ethical challenges of drug regulation, obstacles in clinical trials, pharmaceutical pricing and access, the impact of drug marketing and promotion, post-approval safety concerns, and emerging issues in AI-driven and personalized medicine.