Some Questions about the Moral Responsibilities of Drug Companies in Developing Countries

David Resnik begins his paper with the claim that `Providing people with affordable prescription drugs is probably the most important health care issue for the developing world as we begin the 21st century.1 I believe he is correct. He goes on to argue that drug companies have social responsibilities including moral obligations based in beneficence and justice to help meet this need by such practices as drug giveaways discount pricing and special licensing arrangements. However this responsibility is contingent he believes in part on developing countries establishing a business climate in which drug companies can expect to make reasonable profits which includes in particular respecting the product patents of drug companies. While I am in full sympathy with Resniks desire to increase the availability of prescription drugs in developing countries I want to raise two concerns about his argument in the paper. The first concern is the nature of drug companies moral obligations to develop affordable drugs for the developing world and to make these drugs accessible. The second concern is whether drug companies fulfilling this social responsibility would be at all adequate to meet the developing worlds needs and what implications this has for the responsibilities Resnik argues developing countries have to establish a profitable business climate. (excerpt)