Deontological Paper

Despite this, the industry did not alter its ways, maintaining that its ad campaigns were "educational," and that people were able to make their own decisions about what they purchased (Payer 66). However, it is evident that the advertisements produced by the pharmaceutical industry are designed for the very purpose of making it difficult for people to make these decisions independently. This marketing produces a large number of often deceptive, misleading tactics which have a large influence on both consumers and medical practitioners. The chief beneficiaries of this marketing are not the consumers but the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

There are proponents of DTC prescription drug ads. They argue that “the ads inform patients about diseases and possible treatments, encourage people to seek medical advice, help remove stigma associated with medical conditions, and provide needed sales revenue to fund costly research and development (R&D) of new drugs (Drug Ads ProCon.org).” On the flip side opponents argue “that DTC drug ads misinform patients, promote drugs before long-term safety-profiles can be known, medicalize and stigmatize normal conditions and bodily functions like wrinkles and low testosterone, waste valuable medical appointment time, and have led to our society’s overuse of prescription drugs (Drug Ads ProCon.org).”

Many countries view differently the advertising of harmful products placing personal responsibility on consumers and regulating what consumers are allowed to indulge in. The US highly regulates some forms of harmful products, allow others, and still give some a pass. An example of this, cigarette advertising, it is only allowed on certain media, excluding television and radio, while alcohol is permitted on all media. Young or uninformed consumers usually fall victim to this type of advertising and marketing. The third issue is, Marketing and Advertising Tactics. Companies use all sorts of method to attract consumer from subliminal advertising, to emotional appeals taking advantage of less educated individuals. In 2012 two leading paint companies, Sherwin-Williams Company and PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., agreed to settle with the FTC regarding charges that they did mislead consumers into believing that some of their paint was free of volatile organic compounds, in other words, harmful chemicals. When a company markets or advertises a product and states that it is free of an ingredient that might be an environmental or health hazard it must not contain or very little (meaning trace), of the ingredient. Another ethical issue example in marketing and advertising tactics, huge drug companies try to influence medical professionals to prescribe their drugs by hosting lavish events and showering doctors with gifts and benefits. Consumers are

New Zealand is the only other developed nation in the world where prescription drugs are advertised directly to consumers. The American pharmaceutical industry used to abide by a term “ethical marketing,” meaning that drug companies could only market to physicians. On the other hand, there is a valid argument for allowing direct-to-consumer drug advertisements as the flow of information and transparency are beneficial. However, there obviously needs to be some checks and balances. This experiment began with a print advertisement in 1981 in Reader’s Digest and the first TV ad took place in 1983. At that time, the FDA had several rules in place requiring companies to offer a fair and balanced presentation. In sum, this was a responsible era of advertising.

     Is a patient at liberty to diagnose his or her own affliction? If so, are they also qualified enough to know the right medication and take into consideration the drugs adverse effects? With the recent onset of direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugs, this is becoming the case. In 1994, expenditures on direct to consumer advertisements were about twenty-five-million a year. By 1998 that figure changed to about 225 million (Sasich 2). Turn on the TV, there they are. Open your favorite magazine, there they are again. Listen to the radio, congratulations, you’ve found another ad for the latest prescription drug. Rush down to your local

Televised drug ads have helped to update patients on the positives of pharmaceuticals. The Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) drug ads inform people about medical conditions and the treatments that come with those conditions. As stated by this article, “44% of patients…said that DTC prescription drug ads helped educate them about drugs, medical conditions, and treatments” (“Should Prescription Drugs” 2). For most patients, they are unaware of what is inside of their medications and what the risks are. With prescription drug ads, they allow the uninformed patients to become informed by

The Pharmaceutical industry has been in the spotlight for decades due to the fact that they have a reputation for being unethical in its marketing strategies. In The Washington Post Shannon Brownlee (2008) states, “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow.” This honorable statement is completely lost in today’s world of pharmaceutical marketing tactics. These tactics are often deceptive and biased. Big Pharma consistently forgets their moral purpose and focuses primarily on the almighty dollar. Big Pharma is working on restoring their reputation by reforming their ethical code of conduct.

Advertisements have one primary purpose that is to persuade. Prescription medications Ads tell the consumers to get treatment and also imply that they have the need for it to solve their problems. Since prescription Ads have been introduced, the pharmaceutical

Nowadays, in an ever-changing global business era, companies face a lot of ethical and legal issues in the market while implementing strategies and activities. The global organizations have to face various kinds of moral and legal problems in the current business environment. The companies need to follow the regulations, laws, and ethics. This paper assesses and analysis ethical matters relating to marketing and advertising of drug, intellectual property of AD 23 and regulation of product safety. Moreover, this paper also arguments for or against DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) Marketing by pharmaceutical companies. It determines the responsibilities of the parties for regulating compounding pharmacies according to the current regulatory scheme as well as describes PharmaCARE could face legal exposure surrounding its practices.

With the increased use of mass media advertisements to the consumer gained the attention of and criticisms of public health officials and physicians like the American Medical Association (AMA). Opponents of directly advertising to consumers argue that the advertisements mislead the consumer to either take prescription drugs that the consumer do not need or turn normal human physiological changes, like hair loss or decreased testosterone levels in aging men, as diseases. Further, opponents like the AMA argue that patients see the advertisements and insist that the doctor prescribe the medication, even though there are negative side effects of the prescription medicine. All the arguments set forth by the opponents of DTCA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a US government agency that regulate DTCA for the pharmaceutical industry is currently evaluating the policies that dictate direct advertisements to consumers. The American Medical Association is currently seeking a federal ban on direct to consumer advertising. Therefore companies that had an effective non-market strategy for the consumer rights movement may have found it insufficient to deal with the downstream issues that came with directly

The advertising gives the audience key distinctions to the products and should give the truth about the product. Advertising gives you information on what the drug is for and possible side effects and dangers from taking the drug. I would say that Direct to consumer advertising is ethical if the advertising is intended for goodwill of patients. The advertising should be clear about its intentions and

Whether in a magazine or a television commercial, one of the utmost used phrases in a DTC pharmaceutical advertisement is the phrase, “Contact your doctor to find out more information”. Consequently, supporters reason direct-to-consumer advertising encourages the patient to contact a physician, thus promoting beneficial patient- provider communication (Ventola 672). In the age of technology, it is easy to type in symptoms and be met with an ill fate. The wide publication of these advertisements does what pharmaceutical companies set out to do, they inform. In a recent study, it was found that the majority of those surveyed (56 percent) responded that they read the pharmaceutical advertisement completely and felt like they understood it. The percentage for those who spoke later to their health care provider was a relatively lower thirty-five percent. Wilkes states that the misinterpretation rate is not knowingly any higher than those who understand. His research corresponds with the notion do the benefits outweigh the negatives? With his research he claims that by using means of DTC pharmaceutical advertisements, the pharmaceutical companies are educating us as a population and giving us better understanding (Wilkes

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency that many drug companies go to for advice before releasing any drug related TV ads. These ads are referred to as Direct-to-Consumer Ads(DTCA). According to the FDA, Direct to Consumer ads is published in magazines and newspapers that are distributed to a general audience rather than to healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. And can be advertised through television or radio, brochures, booklets, or pamphlets distributed to patients, caregivers, smartphones, computers and tablets.

Hello, Adrian! I definitely see your point about the “pharmaceutical companies [who] are practically free to do whatever they want with the manufacturing and selling their drugs.” What amazes me more is that they seem perfectly justifiable if viewed from the perspective of capitalism. I understand that pharmaceutical and the healthcare industries need to make a profit since it is also the way our economic system mobilizes people to provide for others. However, the absurd price tags on prescription drugs and the cost of healthcare today are way beyond the idea of capitalism. In my opinion, it is causing a fundamental inequality and dividing the rich and the poor. Sadly, the price of inequality is money. Money - because it buys you quality-prescription

Advertising has grown within society over the past years. Everything and mostly everyone who tries to catch the public attention uses advertising as a source of propaganda. Business uses them to sell product and persuade people that their products are beneficial. Depending on how good the business sells they out to people determine what they need it or not. One out of many products being advertised in the present day are prescription drugs. Many people like the idea of companies advertising medicine. Advertisement of prescription drugs should be allowed because it informs and educate people of their own health encouraging people to be more open with their doctors and help find and reduce underdiagnosed illnesses that the client and doctor