Pfizer/Flynn medicine monopoly and the NHS: A corporate exploitation of public resources in the United Kingdom

Download the article in PDF format *** On July 21, 2022, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Flynn Pharma Limited £63 million and £6 million respectively. The fines levied against these companies are the result of them abusing their market position as a means to overcharge the … Continue reading Pfizer/Flynn medicine monopoly and the NHS: A corporate exploitation of public resources in the United Kingdom

Guest Post: Legal changes and paradigm shifts: what we need to get the benefits of whistleblowing

Greg Lawton, patient & medicines safety, data protection and healthcare policy consultant, contributes to today’s guest post. Greg, who worked for Boots between 2006 and 2015 and in his final role was part of the manpower planning team that assessed staffing levels in the company's pharmacies, resigned in 2015 after he took his concerns about … Continue reading Guest Post: Legal changes and paradigm shifts: what we need to get the benefits of whistleblowing

The alarming rise in the costs of drugs and the irresponsible behavior of pharmaceutical companies

Among all existing industries, the pharmaceutical sector is differentiated by the unique feature that it aims to fight diseases and conditions, thus directly contributing to the improvement of lives across the globe. With a focus on a basic human need such as health, pharmaceuticals have proven to be a highly profitable, prosperous, and ever-growing industry. … Continue reading The alarming rise in the costs of drugs and the irresponsible behavior of pharmaceutical companies

Understaffing and its threats to patient safety: irresponsible behavior in pharmacy chains

Boots Pharmacy, part of the largest pharmacy chain in Europe and the United States, has once again found itself in the spotlight for yet another dispensing error. On the 14th of December, the incorrect medication was dispensed to a customer at a Basingstoke, Hampshire branch (United Kingdom). The pharmacist on duty filled the patient’s prescription for … Continue reading Understaffing and its threats to patient safety: irresponsible behavior in pharmacy chains

Thalidomide’s Return: A dark shadow still lurks within the pharmaceutical industry

Thalidomide is a synthetic drug developed in 1954 by German pharmaceutical company, Chemie Grünenthal, for use as a sedative in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety. Because of its purported atoxic nature, the use of this “wonder drug” quickly became widespread all over Europe. It was initially used to treat conditions like colds, headaches, and … Continue reading Thalidomide’s Return: A dark shadow still lurks within the pharmaceutical industry