BIH613: Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry

The module Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry is an elective module in the Medical Ethics and Healthcare Ethics concentration and comprises 12 sub-units taught over 12 weeks. Each sub-unit presents different but interrelated areas of knowledge. The aim of this module is to introduce students to the processes and practices followed internationally for the development and promotion of therapeutic products, and above all to identify the issues of ethics and deontology that may arise. The module is not, however, limited to the ethical issues arising during 'traditional' clinical trials of pharmaceutical products, but seeks to highlight contemporary specific issues that the healthcare professional of our era may face (such as, for example, access to experimental procedures and the use of biobanks). The ultimate aim of this module is for students to develop critical judgement so as to be able to identify and highlight the ethical issues concerning the relationship of the pharmaceutical industry with patients, healthcare professionals and health policy makers, and to propose possible solutions for approaching these issues.