Topic: Prescription Drug Reimportation

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Description: [?]

Preferred language style: English (U.S.)

Each project has a written component, requiring
at least two outside sources (peer-reviewed or popular). Your written
paper is due the day of the quiz and should be at least 2 pages long
no less.

This project is based on the following article.
The Ethical Dilemmas of Prescription Drug Reimportation
by Merrill Matthews on 05/14/2003 (the entire article will be attached
separately)

Prompt

The reimportation of prescription drugs—in which drugs made in the
U.S. and sold and
shipped to other countries are then sold and shipped back (reimported)
to the states—is a
growing political issue. Seniors are going to Canada and other
countries to buy prescription
drugs at lower prices and are bringing them back to the states.
Moreover, there are an
estimated 80 on-line pharmacy Web sites in Canada that sell
prescription drugs, many of
which are shipped to U.S. customers. And some doctors, pharmacies,
politicians and insurers are encouraging and even helping patients to
get their prescriptions from Canada.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), brand name prescription
drug companies and many pharmacists both in the U.S. and Canada have
raised a number of concerns about
reimportation, citing patient safety as the primary issue.
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies, has
decided to stop selling its products to certain Canadian-based on-line
drug vendors that are reimporting. Reimportation proponents claim
these concerns are motivated solely by profits. The truth is that
reimportation creates serious ethical dilemmas for pharmaceutical
manufacturers that are not easily resolved.

a.) Read the article in its entirety
b.) Research the rates of illegal importation of prescription drugs
from Mexico and Canada.
Further research why individuals, especially seniors may go across the
border looking
for drugs.
c.) Report the rates of illegal importation and discuss the issue
behind why individuals may
cross the border
d.)Choose one ethical dilemma aIDressed in the article. In your
opinion, based on the
research you have done, how serious is this ethical dilemma?

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