Individual Assignment 2 Opioid Crisis. Management Essay

Opioid Crisis
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Opioid Crisis
As the healthcare system evolves, ethical issues are becoming more pressing. One of the areas that have led to ethical issues among physicians is the opioid epidemic in the U.S. The opioid epidemic can be traced to the 1990s when medical authorities decided that pain was not been treated enough. Physicians then decided to treat pain like any other disease (Dineen & DuBois, 2016). The pharmaceutical industry took advantage of the decision and started marketing a new generation of pain medications. While these drugs were effective in managing pain, they were also addictive to a majority of the patients. The sales opioids have increased steadily due to the increase in opioid prescriptions. Over the years, a majority of the patients who have been treated for pain have become addicted to their prescriptions. The prescriptions have also become a gateway for street opioids like heroin and caused deaths among patients. In an attempt by the U.S. to deal with the opioid epidemic, the burden has often been shifted to the pharmaceutical companies.
1 What are Johnson & Johnson’s legal and ethical challenges stemming from the U.S. opioid crisis?
While the opioid crisis in the U.S. needs a corrective measure, J&J has taken all the necessary steps to comply with both federal and state laws. The company appreciates that medicines play a critical role in the lives of patients. Opioids, in particular, are essential in assisting patients with chronic pain. The manufacturer believes it has taken measures to ensure responsible marketing of the medications. Additionally, the opioids from the manufacturer account for less than 1% of the opioid prescriptions in Oklahoma.
While the company believes it is not directly responsible for the problem, it has both legal and ethical obligations to prevent opioid addictions (Phillips et al., 2017). Considering the increase in the number of deaths, the company should take measures to reduce its aggressive marketing efforts. J&J has been involved in misleading marketing campaigns that have ultimately increased addition overdose deaths. The company cannot, therefore, deny responsibility in the opioid crisis in the U.S. It should have taken measures to ensure that it does not fuel the increasing addiction from its medications.
2 According to the J&J Credo, identify and discuss the firm’s key stakeholders in the order of priority.
J&J is first responsible for patients, physicians, and nurses (Johnson & Johnson, 2019). The company cares about the welfare of those who use their products. It works to provide the various parties with high-quality products, at reasonable prices. The second stakeholders are the employees. The company strives to offer them an inclusive work environment (Johnson & Johnson, 2019). It also provides fair compensation to all the workers to ensure that they fulfill their purpose.
The third stakeholders in...