Negative impact of pharmaceutical industry

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Pharmaceutics

The pharmaceutical industry

The problem of antibiotic resistance has far-reaching consequences for public health, patient outcomes, and healthcare systems. The effects of antibiotic resistance on the economy and society are significant. Drug-resistant infections are more common, which may result in more expensive healthcare, more extensive medical procedures, and longer hospital stays.

is the overall process of developing a new chemical entity into an approved therapy that is safe and effective in treating or preventing disease. It is a complex process requiring multiple scientific, medical, legal, commercial, and regulatory expertise.

an industry in medicine that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure and prevent diseases, or alleviate symptoms

Approval of dangerous drugs

Environment

Problems in pharmaceutical industry

Over 100,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical products are consumed globally every year (24% in Europe). During their manufacture, use and disposal, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are released into the environment and create:

- water and air pollution

It was reported that chemicals were detected in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million people.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing processes contribute to greenhouse gas emissions

- deforestation and habitat destruction

impairment of the reproduction of exposed fish populations and the decline of vulture populations due to poisoning with diclofenac when feeding on animals carcases

- plastic contamination

The production of pharmaceuticals generates a significant amount of waste, including unused or expired medications and packaging materials which now takes place overseas

- antimicrobial resistance

The presence of antibiotics in the environment also contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

The drug approval process is a complex system designed to ensure that medications meet stringent safety and efficacy standards before reaching the market. Regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), assess a drug's safety profile and effectiveness. Despite these rigorous measures, concerns have been raised about the influence of Big Pharma on regulatory decisions. If attempts to develop a drug fail, it will entail even greater losses, so Big Pharma may resort to monetary manipulation and aggressive marketing to help promote the product as safe and effective.

Mariia Yurkova

Conflicts of interest

High cost for research and development

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Problems

Pharmaceutical companies heavily invest in development of new technologies and medicines and also in marketing and distributing their products. The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development announced that it calculated that it costs pharmaceutical companies $2.6 billion to develop a new drug. Previously mentioned factors lead to one of the main issues - expensive cost of many prescription medications, especially drugs designed to treat rare diseases. Healthcare providers, medical professionals, and patients frequently struggle with the cost of prescription drugs.

The ethical integrity of medical research, healthcare practices, and patient outcomes can be jeopardized by conflicts of interest in the pharmaceutical business. Here are some examples to what issues it can extend:

1. Financial ties with healthcare providers

2. Impact on Clinical Trials and Research

3. Marketing and Promotional Practices.

High cost for research and development

Negative impact on environment

Approval of dangerous drugs

Resistance to antibiotics

Conflicts of interest