Theory Applied: Ethics of Care
Michael Trzos, a senior salesperson at BioRx, began to think about all the lasting friends he had made in attendance of the hemophiliac meetings. He began to reminisce about struggling to make ends meet as a kid, when his family was not able to afford his medication, and really started to appreciate how far he had come.
As he was on his way to work one day, he began to think about how he was going to fulfill his company quota on sales that day. He thought to himself, “I could help people like myself by selling them this medication while also making a lot of money. Nothing is wrong with that,” he thought. But as he began to think about the commission he makes on each sale, he came to the conclusion that it was a bit too excessive, so when he got to work, he decided to confront his boss.
“Good morning Frank,” said Michael. “On my way in this morning, I was wondering what a bottle of prescription pills costs us, versus what we sell it for to the consumer.” Frank responded, “We actually sell our product to hemophiliacs at a 400% profit margin. They have no choice but to purchase it, so we can get away with selling it at such a high price.” Michael was disgusted, as he began to think about all the people who weren’t receiving proper treatment because of the high costs.
Frank