Critical Shortage of Children's Leukemia Drug - Kristy Owyang
SUMMARY:.
This article is about how there is a shortage of drugs in pharmacies and hospitals for people with acute leukemia and that they do not know why it is really happening. This drug is the only one that is really effective in injecting int he spinal cord unlike other kinds of drugs. Some places like hospitals are down to a few more until they completely run out to give to others. It is making things worse for the patients and they could possibly die because there isnt enough to give out. Obama is trying to reduce the shortage of this drugs.
Questions:
Would it be consider murdered if the leukemia patients die because they company that supply the drugs dont give the hospital or pharmacies enough medicine to help the patients?
I do not think that a lack of medicine can be deemed as murder. It is unfortunate that some people cannot get the same treatment as others because of lack of resources or money but their death is not a result of murder. You must have the intent to murder and I highly doubt that it is the intent of the hospital administration or staff to murder patients by not buying more medicine. However, the company withholding medicine from hospitals for money purposes is highly unethical. The primary goal of both the company and the hospital should be the life of the patients. Unfortunately, that is not the case; the concern of most companies and even some hospitals is money, money to survive and thrive in our market based economy.
ReplyDeleteI think it is not fair to not have enough medicine for patients. I mean, isn't that why we have doctors and scientists to produce these things for those who are diagnosed with these diseases? But no, I do not think it is considered murder. Just like what Ann said, you must have the intent to kill and I am sure the companies distributing the medicine have that intent.
ReplyDeleteIf the company refuses to make more medicine, then i do believe that it can be considered murder; however, if the company ran out of money to make these medicines or if there is a lack of herbs, chemicals, etc, then i would not consider that murder. It is tragic that these cancer patients may not be able to live because there is a shortage of medicine, but blame cannot solely be placed on the company. Similarly to Ann Marie and Priscilla, distribution of the medicine to hospitals and patients should always be first on the company's mind, not money.
ReplyDeleteIf the medicine companies know that there is an apparent demand for that certain drug, yet they are withholding the medicine or purposely slowing down the manufacturing of it, then yes, it can be considered murder.
ReplyDeleteThere are also other companies out there that act as the middle-man in selling the drugs from the drug manufacturer and hospitals who purposely buy huge shipments of drugs and then only sell a few to create a demand to raise the prices of the drugs.
It's not so much of the idea of murder. But, it is very sad that we can't help these patients with leukemia or any other disease in this world. We waste so much money on things we don't really NEED when we have more important things to worry about. I don't understand how we still can't find a cure with all the doctors we have. But, money is the key to this; without it we can't really do anything.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is murder because there is a shortage of the drug. If there was alot of the drug than it would not be fair, but there is not. This is just a bad situation, and people are suffering at it's expense. It is not the companies fault it cannot produce medicine at the rate it needs to be produced.
ReplyDelete