Education pharmaceutical industry

Another critical factor could be image. High-technology companies like to reinforce their image by having addresses that are synonymous with education and science. Others may want to associate themselves with an area traditional for high-quality manufacturing or research and development such as in the pharmaceutical industry, which is concentrated in Switzerland. 

Racial/ethnic group membership was expected to be an important factor in an individual s level of trust of these institutions. Controlling for gender, age, education, and income, African Americans were about 40% less likely than whites to trust universities Asians and Hispanics were nearly twice as likely as whites to trust the federal government. However, race/ethnicity was not a factor in trust in the pharmaceutical industry nor in trust in health organizations. 

Researchers and drug companies are interdependent. The pharmaceutical industry depends on scientists and clinicians for research, development, and marketing. Conversely, the medical profession depends on research that is largely financed by the pharmaceutical industry. While this interdependence often benefits industry, research, and patient care, conflicts of interest may arise in two main areas (1) drug research and development and (2) clinical education and product marketing. 

Uses class action litigation and public education to challenge what it calls illegal pricing tactics and deceptive marketing by drug companies and others in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Various approaches to self-regulation have heen taken hy different physicians organizations. However, a review of these approaches reveals general themes. In most cases, the primary justification for having a direct relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and individual physicians seems to he based on the premise that an advancement of patient healthcare will occur through increased education and research. This assumes that the information provided to the physician is impartial and also disregards the capacity of physicians to keep themselves up to date about advances in drug therapy by way of medical and other academic journals. 

Most pharmaceutical manufacturers now put substantial resources into process validation for both regulatory and economic reasons, but despite continued educational efforts by both the agency and the pharmaceutical industry, FDA inspections (both domestically and internationally) continue to find some firms manufacturing drug products using unvalidated or inadequately validated processes. Evidently there is still room for improvement, and continued discussion, education, and occasional regulatory action appears warranted. 

At this time, the universities in the United States also are building up their relationships with the pharmaceutical industry, a relationship which is both old and profitable in European countries. This is not only through private grants to educational institutions but also through direct funding by means of interlocking agreements. 

We still have not, as a country, decided whether health care is a social service, says Paul Reitemeier, the health care ethicist. If it were, we would guarantee access to it, as we do education and food stamps. Okay then, so the public considers the drug industry a business. But that s not quite true either. Consumers lose sight of the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is proprietary, not altruistic. They re [drug companies] not in the health care business they re in the business of providing tools. But because it s health care, they get the halo effect. ... 

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