Abstract
Problems of “corruption” pose unique challenges in many areas of concern to bioethics, including the research, development, and marketing of drugs, the delivery of foreign and disaster aid, and the allocation and quality of medical care. Indeed, corruption is a particular concern in biomedical fields for at least six reasons: (1) They rely on expert judgment, (2) they involve complex and uncertain issues, (3) they are uniquely dependent on regulatory bodies, (4) they involve large amounts of money, (5) they are affected by diverse international standards resulting from globalization, (and 6) they involve significant disparities in wealth and power. This chapter examines the nature and logic of various types of corruption that result, including “conflicts of interest,” attempts at “gaming the system,” and the phenomena of “regulatory and institutional capture.” In analyzing each, case studies are provided that illustrate how corruption happens and the stakes involved, focusing heavily on the pharmaceutical industry. This chapter concludes by briefly discussing the costs of corruption and mitigation strategies. Although there are some hopeful prospects for reform, the complexities of corruption together with the dynamism of biomedical fields suggest a need for ongoing study and vigilance.
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Miller, J.E., English, W. (2014). Corruption. In: ten Have, H., Gordijn, B. (eds) Handbook of Global Bioethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2512-6_106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2512-6_106
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