When a company launches a new product you expect to see commercial after commercial about it. You are not surprised when a toothbrush company shows you how using their new spinning brush can help you win the guy, the girl or the job. We’ve even fallen in love with characters and jingles that stay in your brain all day long. Well there is a new kid in town when it comes to the marketing world: Big Pharma. Pharmaceutical companies are currently right up there with fast food restaurants, beauty products and tobacco products when it comes to advertising and marketing. But, this style of marketing has both negative and positive consequences.

The Problems with Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Pharmaceuticals

The way in which prescription drugs and other pharmaceuticals are being introduced to patients is through what is termed, direct-to-consumer marketing. Prescription drugs now have their own jingles and their own brand characters. Commercials are made to appeal to customers with these tactics, as well as with symptom listing. An example of a (silly) drug commercial may be, “If you have been diagnosed with purple tongue disorder or have the symptoms mentioned, ask your doctor if the Purple Tongue Pill may be right for you.”

Obviously, this example was created to prove a point, however, this is the manner in which several drugs are being marketed. So what’s the problem? The problem is that there is a change in the direction of information and action. Instead of symptoms leading a patient to a doctor, the doctor investigating and suggesting a drug, the patient may feel symptoms related to what they saw on television or read in a magazine and may approach the doctor with the type of drug she believes she should be taking. Often, doctors have so many patients and so little time, that taking one responsibility away from them is seen as a relief, leading some doctors, experts claim, to prescribe medicine without thorough investigation. This is reported to happen often with antidepressants and ADD/ADHD medications.

The Upside to Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Pharmaceuticals

On the other hand, there are advantages to exposing customers to the wide variety of pharmaceutical products available. The greatest advantage is more knowledgeable patients. Knowing how many medicines there are out there to treat things like diabetes, high cholesterol or rheumatoid arthritis gives individuals hope and keeps them poking and prodding their doctors for more information. Also, there are prescriptions now for ailments that individuals never would have gone to a doctor for in the past. Take nail fungus, for example. Patients used to either just deal with it or else use an over-the-counter product. Now, they may see a commercial for an anti-fungal prescription and that impels them to see a doctor for a prescription remedy. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies, alike, must remember that their number one priority is a patient’s welfare.

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