Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6533

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Levy R, Smith M.
Rx marketing’s real value
Pharmaceutical Executive 1994 Oct66-72

Abstract:

This article explains the fundamental role of pharmaceutical marketing and provides useful arguments for recognizing and honouring its value in the face of criticism. Although one objective of promotion is to generate sales, the primary purpose is informational and serves to educate the medical profession. Marketing communications from companies present product information that is timely and dynamic. Physicians are well aware of the bias in promotion and correct for it. Competition exposes doctors to multiple biases and multiple facets of the story, as each company promotes the advantages of its own product and compares it to the alternatives. Regulation of promotion has created a level playing field as the Food and Drug Administration clearly circumscribes what companies can communicate about a medication. Advertising, unlike promotion, is not intended to be a major route of information transfer.The main purpose of advertising in medical journals is not to convince doctors to prescribe a product or to provide comprehensive information but rather to establish or reinforce the image of the product or the company. In 1992, the FDA objected to less than 2% of all promotional materials it reviewed. High marketing costs, often in excess of R&D costs, are typical of high technology industries. Detailed information on proper use must accompany those products. Marketing helps control the price of drugs as companies compete for market share. The major responsibility for the proper use of medications by consumers resides with the companies that manufacture them. Several companies have begun to mount serious patient and provider directed compliance programs and some have started direct-to-consumer advertising. DTCA can be expected to lower consumer costs.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/value of promotion/quality of information/source of information/doctors/regulation of promotion/journal advertisements/competitive consequences of promotion/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/consumer drug prices/industry perspective/promotion costs and volume/Food and Drug Administration/FDA/market share/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONSUMER DRUG COSTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: MARKET SHARE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION/VOLUME OF AND EXPENDITURE ON PROMOTION