[DRAFT] Medication Recycling Act

[Awhaiti Kaiatu]

Healthcare | Bioethics

1. Title: Medication Recycling Act

2. Purpose:
a. To address wastage of quality unused medication in the aim to keep prices of medication low via medication-recycling

3. Interpretation:
Pharmaceutical Industry means any business, state-owned enterprise, or likewise which is involved in the production, sale, and distribution of pharmaceutical products which includes medication.
Quality unused medication means any medication, natural or man-made, that has not expired nor been tampered with and which is still in a quality to be consumed by patients.

4. Understanding:
a. That the number of people suffering from grievous terminal medical conditions is growing worldwide, and;
b. In the absence of absolute-cures, patients will often turn to medication, and;
c. If such patient passes away that person often leaves behind quality unused medication, and;
d. Much of this quality unused medication is often disposed of and goes to waste under recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and;
e. That access to affordable medication and treatment is a vital and expected right whilst being a noble goal for nations to strive for, and;
f. Inability to afford quality medication is a burden on the lower-classes and may be caused by manipulated markets.

5. Opposing:
a. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is not to be recycled, donated, or redistributed, and;
b. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is to be disposed of

6. Proposing:
a. Legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so:
i. Waste of medication is limited, and;
ii. Price of medication is kept down, whilst;
iii. Restraining all the Pharmaceutical Industry's influence on such a matter so they do not lobby against subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii.
b. Legally enable the enforcement and recording of abilities enabled by subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii

7. Effect of resolution:
a. Law and legislation immediately be enacted within member nations bringing the parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect.

Healthcare | Bioethics

1. Title: Medication Recycling Act

2. Purpose:
a. To address wastages of quality unused medication in the aim to keep prices of medication low via medication-recycling

3. Defining:
a. Pharma Company as any business, state-owned enterprise, or likewise which is involved in the production, sale, and distribution of pharmaceutical products which includes medication.
b. Quality unused medication as any medication, natural or man-made, that has not expired nor been tampered with and which is still in a quality to be consumed by patients.

4. Understanding:
a. That the number of people suffering from grievous terminal medical conditions is growing worldwide, and;
b. In the absence of absolute-cures, patients will often turn to medication, and;
c. If such patient passes away that person often leaves behind quality unused medication, and;
d. Much of this quality unused medication is often disposed of and goes to waste under recommendation of Pharma Companies, and;
e. That access to affordable medication and treatment is a vital and expected right whilst being a noble goal for nations to strive for, and;
f. Inability to afford quality medication is a burden on the lower-classes and may be caused by manipulated markets.

5. Opposing:
a. The common recommendations of Pharma Companies that medication is not to be recycled, donated, or redistributed, and;
b. The common recommendations of Pharma Companies Industry that medication is to be disposed of

6. Proposing:
a. Resolution be passed to legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so:
i. Waste of medication is limited, so;
ii. Price of medication is kept down, whilst;
iii. Restraining all the Pharma Companies influence on such a matter so they do not lobby against subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii.

7. Effect of proposal passing:
a. Law be enacted within member nations within one year of ratification to bring the proposed parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect.

[Bruke]

The senior intern who is heading the Brukean delegation while the Ambassador is being replaced speaks up. “While this is a very well-written first draft, I would suggest not using the phrase ‘Parma Company’.”

[Awhaiti Kaiatu]

The senior intern who is heading the Brukean delegation while the Ambassador is being replaced speaks up. “While this is a very well-written first draft, I would suggest not using the phrase ‘Parma Company’.”

The intern raises a good point. Infact, perhaps the draft should be amended to replace 'pharma company' to 'the pharmaceutical industry'


edit: Done

[North Doyooni]

Pretty sure it has to come into effect immediately after passing so I don't think clause 7 would be legal. Might be wrong.

[Bears Armed]

Pretty sure it has to come into effect immediately after passing so I don't think clause 7 would be legal. Might be wrong.

OOC
Correct. You can allow time for phasing effects in, as in [for example] GA Resolution #301: 'Ban on Leaded Fuel', but the process still has to start immediately.

[Kenmoria]

Pretty sure it has to come into effect immediately after passing so I don't think clause 7 would be legal. Might be wrong.

(OOC: Also, saying ‘proposal’ in a proposal is not in line with formatting rules, so saying ‘resolution’ would be better.)

[Bears Armed]

Pretty sure it has to come into effect immediately after passing so I don't think clause 7 would be legal. Might be wrong.

(OOC: Also, saying ‘proposal’ in a proposal is not in line with formatting rules, so saying ‘resolution’ would be better.)

OOC
Also correct.

[Araraukar]

OOC: Also, "proposing a resolution be passed" does not 1. do anything and 2. have any effect on, well, anything, so right now it's also illegal for no active clause.

Healthcare | Bioethics

1. Title: Medication Recycling Act

2. Purpose:
a. To address wastages of quality unused medication in the aim to keep prices of medication low via medication-recycling

3. Defining:
a. Pharmaceutical Industry as any business, state-owned enterprise, or likewise which is involved in the production, sale, and distribution of pharmaceutical products which includes medication.
b. Quality unused medication as any medication, natural or man-made, that has not expired nor been tampered with and which is still in a quality to be consumed by patients.

4. Understanding:
a. That the number of people suffering from grievous terminal medical conditions is growing worldwide, and;
b. In the absence of absolute-cures, patients will often turn to medication, and;
c. If such patient passes away that person often leaves behind quality unused medication, and;
d. Much of this quality unused medication is often disposed of and goes to waste under recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and;
e. That access to affordable medication and treatment is a vital and expected right whilst being a noble goal for nations to strive for, and;
f. Inability to afford quality medication is a burden on the lower-classes and may be caused by manipulated markets.

5. Opposing:
a. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is not to be recycled, donated, or redistributed, and;
b. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is to be disposed of

6. Proposing:
a. Resolution be passed to legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so:
i. Waste of medication is limited, so;
ii. Price of medication is kept down, whilst;
iii. Restraining all the Pharmaceutical Industry's influence on such a matter so they do not lobby against subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii.

7. Effect of proposal passing:
a. Law be enacted within member nations within one year of ratification to bring the proposed parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect.

[Awhaiti Kaiatu]

Just amended the draft to reflect the above recommendations

Changes:
a. Legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so (removed "resolution be passed")
a. Law and legislation immediately be enacted within member nations bring the proposed parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect (made enactment immediate)


Added:
Clause 6(b) Legally enable the enforcement and recording of abilities enabled by subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii

[Kenmoria]

Just amended the draft to reflect the above recommendations

Changes:
a. Legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so (removed "resolution be passed")
a. Law and legislation immediately be enacted within member nations bring the proposed parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect (made enactment immediate)


Added:
Clause 6(b) Legally enable the enforcement and recording of abilities enabled by subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii

(OOC: Claude 7 still needs to have ‘resolution’ as opposed to ‘proposal’, since it won’t be a proposal if it passes.)

[Awhaiti Kaiatu]

Just amended the draft to reflect the above recommendations

Changes:
a. Legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so (removed "resolution be passed")
a. Law and legislation immediately be enacted within member nations bring the proposed parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect (made enactment immediate)


Added:
Clause 6(b) Legally enable the enforcement and recording of abilities enabled by subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii

(OOC: Claude 7 still needs to have ‘resolution’ as opposed to ‘proposal’, since it won’t be a proposal if it passes.)

Done

[Liberimery]

In so far as I’m aware, waste isn’t a principle cause of increased drug prices so much as uncompetitive trade practices that are easily overcome by anti-trust and anti-monopoly acts that can be used against any industry, not just pharmaceutical industries. Other price problems is that patten holders of medication will increase prices in home competitive markets to off set foreign regulatory industries which demand the drug be sold at a unprofitable loss or lose the patten altogether, the demand for cures to rare illnesses.

In fact, recycling prescription medication is generally frowned upon as not only are many prescribed based on unique individual factors such as height, weight, age, and other factors that can result in the decrease of medical effectiveness or an increase to dangerous or lethal levels, but also because recycling prescriptions could risk adulterated or counterfeit products being returned and flooding markets, which could reduce the overall quality of prescriptions if not outright harm the people it’s supposed to cure.

[Araraukar]

OOC post. Detailed feedback.

Healthcare | Bioethics

Wrong area of effect. This doesn't have anything to do with bioethics.

1. Title: Medication Recycling Act

You don't need to put the title in the proposal itself, it'll be tagged onto it when you write it in the title line in the submission form. On the forum it's enough to have it in the thread title like you do now, and if you want, in the first post of the thread.

2. Purpose:

The text of the proposal creates its purpose. You might say its purpose is X, but if the text makes its purpose Y instead, then it'll look like you don't know your own proposal. Also, this isn't school essay, you don't actually need to explain the purpose separately like this.

a. To address wastage of quality unused medication in the aim to keep prices of medication low via medication-recycling

While you don't need a separately titled "purpose", the start of the proposal, anything that comes before the active clauses in a proposal is known as "preamble". That's where you make your case for why this is a good idea to begin with, why it needs to be dealt with by international legislation and why even nations where this problem is not a problem, should vote for it. The preamble is important, because it pretty much makes or breaks a proposal that's about a complicated topic.

3. Interpretation:

I don't know why you've written this text like this, but these sub-headlines don't really help your case and instead make it all look more complicated than it really is.

Pharmaceutical Industry means any business, state-owned enterprise, or likewise which is involved in the production, sale, and distribution of pharmaceutical products which includes medication.
Quality unused medication means any medication, natural or man-made, that has not expired nor been tampered with and which is still in a quality to be consumed by patients.

These are written like definitions, so they should be prefaced with "Defines" (meaning you can drop the "means" from the text) and put in with the active clauses, not buried in the preamble. Also, medications can be distributed to patients in hospitals and care centers. Yet they are not normally considered to be part of "pharmaceutical industry", so are you entirely certain you want to include them in the definition? Especially if the patients don't have to pay for the medications.

4. Understanding:

This is a proper preamble verb, and with slight rewriting this clause would work as a preamble clause. So I'm going to treat it as one. By the way, the bolding and such text effects are unnecessary in a proposal.

a. That the number of people suffering from grievous terminal medical conditions is growing worldwide, and;

You know that "terminal" means it's something that can't be cured or properly managed and you're very likely going to die because of it? I'm uncertain if this is something you want to actually include in the proposal, given that you're not actually targeting terminal patients. What did you actually intend to mean with this? We can help you with the wording.

b. In the absence of absolute-cures, patients will often turn to medication, and;

Again, why are you focusing on terminal patients? The vast majority of medications that goes to waste, is stuff that is a cure, but for one reason or another does not get used up by the patient it has been described to (for example, they turn out to be allergic to it, or the side-effects are too bad, or it is otherwise unsuitable for them, or similar). Also, many illnesses (think of high blood pressure, for instance) can be managed, even if they can't be cured.

c. If such patient passes away that person often leaves behind quality unused medication, and;

As I said, terminal patients are such a tiny percentage of patients, that I don't think focusing on what meds they leave behind is big enough an issue to tackle with WA resolution.

d. Much of this quality unused medication is often disposed of and goes to waste under recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and;

That's usually because the medication is private property once it's in the possession of the patient (or their caretaker), and private people cannot legally sell or pass prescription medications to others. If you wanted to re-possess it, after the person has died, you would likely need to repay the patient if they had to pay for them, or the county/state/whichever instance financed the medications, if the patient or their carer didn't.

For instance, in RL, my permanent medication is life-long, so I don't have to pay for it (universal healthcare with state health insurance), just the processing fees (4.5 euros per 3 months' worth of meds), so while the medication is legally mine, after I've picked it up from the pharmacy, if there was any kind of recall or such that involved repayment, I wouldn't get the repayment, the state would. Likewise, after I die, the medications I might leave behind, will be destroyed as they cannot be legally transferred to another person.

e. That access to affordable medication and treatment is a vital and expected right whilst being a noble goal for nations to strive for, and;

Why do you think medication and treatment cannot already be affordable? See my above RL example. There are also already resolutions that require affordable healthcare to be provided by the member nations to their inhabitants.

f. Inability to afford quality medication is a burden on the lower-classes and may be caused by manipulated markets.

It may be caused by manipulated markets, but it may also be caused by the medication's actual production costs. Some medications are expensive even without any kind of padding by the pharmaceutical company. However, see what I already said about previously passed resolutions on healthcare. You need to familiarize yourself with those.

5. Opposing:

This appears to be another preamble clause.

a. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is not to be recycled, donated, or redistributed, and;
b. The common recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Industry that medication is to be disposed of

These aren't really the guidelines of the manufacturing and marketing chain of the medications, but rather the guidelines of the healthcare authorities, whose job it is to ensure that the medications people receive are safe for them to use.

6. Proposing:

Okay, like I said before, "proposing" doesn't actually do anything. You should be giving the member nations commands on what to do to solve the problem you want solved. Such clauses are called active clauses or mandates, and should be written with active verbs (encourages, requires, etc.), instead of passive ones (ending with -ing).

a. Legally enable the donation, recycling, and the redistribution of quality unused medication in member nations in a way so:

The format you've used to write this proposal makes clauses like this problematic. Proposing something to be legally enabled, does not actually enable it, legally or not. If you want something to be enabled by the proposal, you need to actually write the actual actions you want the member nations to take. Separate them into their own clauses and make them binding language.

Also, the content of this one clause creates the main problem of the proposal, so I'll come back to it later in more detail, but it'll have to wait, because I need some sleep now.

i. Waste of medication is limited, and;
ii. Price of medication is kept down, whilst;

These can be done - and usually are done - without any kind of redistribution of medications, though. So if you want these done, you need to mandate them to be done. Though you need to go into further details of how waste of meds is limited.

iii. Restraining all the Pharmaceutical Industry's influence on such a matter so they do not lobby against subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii.

If you make the above two into actual clauses of their own right, member nations have to apply them, whether pharmaceutical companies like it or not.

b. Legally enable the enforcement and recording of abilities enabled by subsections 6.a.i and 6.a.ii

I don't know what you mean by recording, but see above.

7. Effect of resolution:

Same as with the "purpose", this isn't necessary.

a. Law and legislation immediately be enacted within member nations bringing the parts of this resolution (section 6) into legal effect.

Resolutions go into effect when they pass vote, you don't need to separately say it.

[Awhaiti Kaiatu]

Bump

[Kenmoria]

“What does clause 6b mean? I understand the recording aspect, but not the enforcement aspect. Costs being kept down is quite a vague phrase, and the waste of medication is already limited by factors such as the amount of medication produced. Also, you should have a compulsory verb such as ‘Mandating’ in place of ‘Proposing’.”

[Potted Plants United]

Bump

OOC: Why do you bump when you haven't actually made any changes based on feedback given?