Corporate Responsibility

I recently came across an article in Business Week talking about the future of Merck. This pharmaceutical company is interesting to me because of how much focus they put into corporate social responsibility. This article talks about Vioxx and the lawsuits and problems that have resulted from removing it from the shelves. Many people seem to think that Merck needs to work a little more on maximizing profits rather than their corporate responsibility. With many of their drug patents running out in the next few years many think their profits will decrease drastically. However, I think that since they are trying to better the people in whom they serve and donate millions of dollars to those who can't afford medication, doctors will see Merck as a brand they can trust and continue to recommend it to their patients rather than some cheaper brand that doesn't have the trustworthy reputation. Though in the short-run they may be losing some profits, in the long-run it will help this company succeed.