UNIT 4 - INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF RESEARCH

Unit 4 - Interdisciplinarity of Research

Christopher Gress

LSTD 3953 SID Prospectus

Dr. Miller

University of Oklahoma College of Professional and Continuing Studies

I certify that I have read a students Guide to Academic Integrity at the University of Oklahoma, and this paper is an original paper composed by me for this course. Except where properly cited and attributed, it has not been copied or closely reworded from any other source and has not been submitted as a whole, or in part, for credit in any other course at OU or any other educational institution. It has not been created or submitted for any other purpose such as a job assignment at my workplace or any other agency.

1

Running head: UNIT 4 - INTERDISCIPLINARITY OF RESEARCH

Interdisciplinarity of Research

Importance

Interdisciplinarity is defined as the combination or combining of two or more academic disciplines to achieve a common task. Using interdisciplinarity, a person can produce connections between concepts and ideas across different disciplinary boundaries. By drawing knowledge from several fields, one can address a problem effectively and thoroughly. Using interdisciplinarity, the researchers are better suited to confront the imminent challenge. Combining the perspectives of two or more disciplines, a researcher can understand a complex subject. As is the case with the attempt to understand the multitude of ways the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its subsidiaries approve foods and medications regarding big business, money priorities, and political interests. This matrix is a complex subject that can only be understood by combining aspects from different disciplines like sociology, psychology, biology, and business. By combining elements within these disciplines, we will understand the complexity involved in the regulatory process and understand how the FDA approval process produces.

Sociology

The structure of the FDA comes to question when one thinks about the sociology of its drug approval. It has been shown that most of the regulatory employees began their careers in the pharmaceutical industry (Mulinari, 2015). Having a previous repour with the industry and personnel influences their drug approvals. Due to career development, regulators will maintain personal and professional courtesies with the trade as they may have plans to return to an industry or vice versa. Regarding the familiarity, the regulatory agency is prioritizing the...

FDAs has prioritized the interests of the industry since it depends on industry funding, which comes with strings attached (Hilzenrath, 2016). The bias has resulted in the drug approval process being expedited and long-term drug effects being overlooked (Jarvis & Williams, 2016). While the FDA was formed to serve the interests of the public, it has, over time, started to serve the interests of pharmaceutical companies. This is evidenced on the increasing influence of big pharmaceutical companies on the agencys drug advisory committees (Block, 2018).

Psychology

Employees of the FDA have links to pharmaceutical companies. According to Sifferlin (2016), there is a revolving door between the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, which has attracted criticisms. These links were formed when the employees started their careers in the pharmaceutical companies and then progressed to regulatory work. Most of these regulators continue personal and or professional relationships with pharmaceutical companies and representatives that may influence to approve drugs. Pharmaceutical companies tend to hire agency employees who successfully managed reviews of their drugs or gave them some favors when working for the federal agency (Piller, 2018). It is human nature to favor a colleague over a guest. This psychological behavior becomes evident as FDA regulators are inclined to believe the data submitted by pharmaceutical companies regarding the effects of a drug (Mukherji, Janakiraman, Dutta, & Rajiv,...

…of Zelmid, the first SSRI antidepressant. Social Science & Medicine, 138(2), 217-224.

The researcher focuses on the sociological impact of the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies. A bias is formed at the macro and meso levels, which manifests itself at the micro-social level. Using a relist sociology analysis, the researcher has managed to show how regulatory agencies and commercial priorities are influenced by pharmaceutical companies to approve drugs. Commercial interests have overshadowed and taken the science away from the interests of the consumers resulting in drug injuries. This text is found in the social sciences within the context of sociology. The resource will be located within the interdisciplinarity of research section of the prospectus. The influence of any corporation over one as crucial as a pharmaceutical agent is a significant gradient. This research is relevant to the multitude of societal injustices commercial and regulatory entities create while only observing an equitable outcome.

Piller, C. (2018, July 5). FDAs Revolvng Door: Companies Often Hire Agency Staffers Who Managed Their Successful Drug Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/fda-s-revolving-door-companies-often-hire-agency-staffers-who-managed-their-successful

This publication explores the revolving door in the FDA as agency staffers are often hired by pharmaceutical companies. While the agencys rules and federal laws prevent employees from improper financial gains on their government service, the revolving door indicates otherwise. This federal agencys staffers usually reap later financial rewards through consulting or working with pharmaceutical companies once they leave the FDA. This suggests that the revolving door provides an avenue for these companies to exploit relationships and influence employees decisions while working at the agency. This resource is imperative in the behavioral sciences within the context of psychology. Insights obtained from this resource will be used within the interdisciplinarity research section of the prospectus. It is relevant to understand the psychological impact the relationship between the FDA and…