Opioid Crisis Ethics: Corporate Accountability & Public Health
Ethical Dilemma: Profit Versus Public Health
The ethical dilemma in this case is between profit versus responsibility. Pharmaceutical companies and consulting firms like McKinsey had to decide whether to keep pushing opioids (which were profitable) or act ethically and protect public health. They chose profit, even when they knew the consequences included addiction, overdose, and death. It is a clear conflict between what is legal or financially beneficial versus what is morally right.
Key Stakeholders in the Opioid Crisis
The main stakeholders affected in this case are:
- Patients and their families (many lost loved ones due to overdoses);
- Doctors and healthcare professionals;
- Pharmaceutical employees and sales representatives;
- Insurance companies;
- Pharmacies (e.g., CVS, Walgreens);
- Governments and regulators (e.g., DEA, DOJ);
- The communities affected by the opioid crisis;
- Shareholders and executives of the companies involved.
Each of these stakeholders had different interests, but many were ignored or harmed due to unethical decisions.
Core Values Compromised
Two core values that were affected:
- Transparency: Companies like Insys and Purdue hid the true risks of the drugs and provided false information to insurers and even doctors.
- Human Dignity: Patients were treated as profit targets instead of human beings. Many were manipulated into addiction for financial gain.
Top-Down Ethical Reasoning in Practice
It was clearly a top-down process. The unethical decisions originated from the executives and leaders. They created incentives (such as bonuses and parties), trained workers to lie, and even built systems to manipulate insurance companies. Workers did not truly reflect on what was right or wrong; instead, they followed orders and applied rules that favored profit over ethics.
Absence of Ethical Frameworks
Honestly, no. The companies did not follow any real ethical framework; they focused on profit maximization, which is not a sound ethical strategy. If they had followed a framework like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), stakeholder theory, or duty-based ethics (deontology), they would have made entirely different decisions. Their actions demonstrate that ethics was not integrated into their culture, strategy, or mission at all.
Ethical Issue & Intensity: Opioid Crisis Triggers
The ethical issue was misleading marketing and a lack of control over opioid distribution. The intensity was extremely high because it involved massive harm to society, including thousands of deaths, widespread addiction, and the destruction of communities.
Trigger: The problem was triggered by the idea that pain was being undertreated, coupled with the introduction of drugs like OxyContin and Subsys. From there, sales pressure and unethical marketing triggered a chain reaction of manipulation, fraud, and a loss of control.
Code of Ethics Disregarded & Organizational Respect
No, the Code of Ethics was completely disregarded. Broken Rules/Dispositions:
- Truthfulness and transparency (they lied to insurers and doctors);
- Respect for human life and dignity;
- Corporate responsibility (they ignored public health impact);
- Legal compliance (bribes, fraud, manipulation).
Furthermore, the organization itself was not respected. Companies like Purdue and Insys treated the corporation as a money-making machine, rather than as a social institution with responsibilities. Their actions destroyed trust and permanently damaged the companies’ image.
Personal Ethical Stance & School of Thought
If I had worked in one of these companies, I would have spoken up. I would rather report unethical practices than remain silent and be part of something that destroys people’s lives. I would have used the Reflective Equilibrium method—stopping to evaluate if my actions aligned with personal values such as honesty, responsibility, and empathy. I would also follow a deontological approach (duty-based ethics), because even if selling opioids brings profit, it is still morally wrong if it harms people. I believe the duty to protect life supersedes financial gain or orders from a superior.