To the Editor:
With the announcement of the Rite Aid Community Pharmacy Lab at St. John’s announcement, I couldn’t help but think of a caution given to the St. John’s community by Dr. Paul Lauritzen last year. Dr. Lauritzen was our McKeever Chair of Moral Theology. He reminded us of Pope John Paul II calling the commodification of science and health care by business interests “one of the most serious ethical problems facing the international community.”
Dr. Lauritzen told us of corporation-sponsored research that was being held back from the scientific community in order to realize profits. He also mentioned findings that indicated corporate sponsored research more often came to positive findings for the sponsors products. I am just wondering if we have the safe guards in place with our relationship with Rite Aid to keep our research free from influence and open to the scientific world.
Pat Tracy
Adjunct Theology
