Analyse the case study and respond to the following questions. The assignment concerns the first three chapters of the textbook. In addition, other ethics concepts may be applied if and where applicable.
Deliverables:
1. Use of applicable topics from Chapter 1, namely but not limited to the three traditions/three decision guides.
2. Use of applicable topics from Chapter 2, namely but not limited to human nature, moral reasoning and self-interest.
3. Use of applicable topics from Chapter 3, namely but not limited to stakeholder theory.
Reference or info may based on this book : Andrew Wicks, R. Edward Freeman, Patricia Werhane, and Kirsten Martin, Business
Ethics: A Managerial Approach, Prentice Hall, First Edition,
Case Study: Pharmaceutical Testing - Human Subjects
BioPharmaWizard Ltd. has developed a new drug for the treatment of a specific type of cancer. Initial phases of testing have been most encouraging and the decision has been made to proceed to human testing.
A large number of physicians, whose specialty is oncology, have been contacted to recruit patients to participate in a full scale, longitudinal study. Given the nature of the disease, the objectives of the study are to determine the rates of reoccurrence and length of survival after treatment with the new drug. All appropriate information for scientific testing involving humans were given to the physicians. There are strict rules what types of patients can volunteer and participate in the study. One of the criteria is that only patients that had surgery within the last three months can be included in the study.
Dr. Hortense Rhys-Martin carefully read the technical information on the new drug and was convinced of the new drug's efficacy. She has a patient who has heard about the study and is eager to participate in the study. On the basis of the BioPharmaWizard technical information, Dr. Rhys-Martin believes that new drug would benefit her patient. She decides to include her patient in the study even though her patient's surgery was six months ago and not within the three month limit. She alters the patient's documentation with respect to the date of the surgery in order to conform to the study's eligibility requirement. Dr. Rhys-Martin has reasoned that the potential for helping her patient out weights the study's three-month restriction.