Truth in Fiction: Appreciating the Complex Realities of the Pharmaceutical Industry Through Novels

Abstract

In this paper, I will illustrate how, through the use of fiction, both the teaching and learning of law may be made more interesting, meaningful, and fun. Section II begins with a discussion on the multiplicity of benefits and beneficiaries when fiction is incorporated into legal education. Section III illustrates how a topic like the pharmaceutical industry, its challenges, ethical issues, and relationships with governments and the public, may be best understood and appreciated when presented through the medium of novels. Part II introduces the five novels selected for this paper and provides analysis of their portrayals of the pharmaceutical industry. This section briefly assesses each novel's plot, major characters, and the various issues and questions each book raises with regard to the challenges and roles drug companies play in society. Part III provides a hypothetical lesson plan that uses the selected books to teach students about the pharmaceutical industry. The lesson plan incorporates a multi-faceted approach which uses the novels and excerpts from such novels as tools for learning, discussion, and contemplation.