Ethics in Executive Leadership

After 36 years in medicine, including 2 years in the Army, and 18 years in the VA, I am glad to find that finally someone is getting interested in Ethics. I am encouraged by this article, but am not so sure of the general statement that government contracts usually pay little. Several government contractors have told me that if they can’t get a cost-plus contract, they submit an unrealistically low but winning bid, but then submit changes to the contract to make a good profit. I think that the best advance in honesty in government contracting is the qui tam legislation, which allows whistle-blowers to get a cut of the government’s recovery. (I wish that as part of the Obama Health Care Plan the whole U.S. government, including Medicare and Medicaid, would negotiate with the drug companies, like the VA does.)

I tend to chuckle when I hear of the self-described “ethical drug industry”. However, I have long respected Johnson and Johnson, including their Robert W. Johnson Foundation, which has made many contributions to healh care. I am encouraged that someone who knows Johnson and Johnson so well can speak so highly of them. I think that this article can give us a good example for drug companies to follow.

Jim Hawley, M.D.