The Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Products - Essay Example

I. Should prescription drugs be marketed directly to s? In general, the pharmaceutical prescription drug advertisements does not promote the public health, rather, it increases the number of unnecessary prescriptions and the cost of drugs. This may becomes so expensive to the tax payer and to some extent can be harmful or even fatal to the patient depending on the danger of such prescription. For quite some time now, over-the-counter drugs have increased enormously. Normally, Doctors, Nurses as well as all other health professionals are trained to prescribe drugs to patients decide and also to ensure that they are taken in compliance with their prescription. However, the absence of these health professional in over-the-counter prescription and the advertisement of this drugs as created a new challenge that ought to be confronted. There are even cases where these advertisements have been found to pressure health professionals to prescribe particular drugs that might as well be less effective and dangerous. This idea intrudes in the relationship between patients and medical practitioners, thereby, interfering or even impeding the therapeutic process. Additionally, prescription advertising is not educational, instead it is inherently misleading if the omission of crucial information on drugs in its features is anything to go by. This therefore demonstrates just how dangerous consumer marketing of prescription drugs is and why it should be prohibited (Jeffrey, 2004, p. 21). II. What do you think is the most effective means to market a drug that is chemically and theoretically identical to its competitors? What do you think is the most ethical way to market such drugs? Pharmaceutical products are those chemicals that improve the health of human beings, although in certain instances they can cause serious side effects to certain people who might be allergenic to these chemicals. Normally, producer of medical drugs compete both in terms of advertisement as well as prices, up to a point where advertisement and prices reach an equilibrium point (Harold, 2004, p.44), a point at which people are free to make choices based on their capability. This leaves the choice of drug administration in the hands of the physician. At times it is even the patient who is left with the decision of expressing his/her preference for one drug over the other and particularly if he/she has been exposed to some form of advertising. I strongly believe that a sale promotion involving packaging is not a bad idea to market a homogenous drug. Presentability of a drug can make all the difference in a contest pitting two theoretically and chemically identical with another already in the market. In fact, because the drugs are similar chemically and theoretically, one can focus on the cleanliness and hygiene of the drug through packaging the drug in a fashion that demonstrates hygiene and cleanliness to weather the competition. III. In what ways might a consumer suffering from a medical condition be less than fully free in making choices about medications? What psychological conditions undermine consumer autonomy? In most instances, patient fear of health deterioration leads to pharmaceutical inertia i.e. resistance to making any changes in their medicine regimens, which may also emerge due to unwillingness to use medication since they is no guarantee of improvement as one has no idea that it is going to improve the condition. This is one of the factors that put patients at the mercies medical practitioners or medical adverts in cases where the medical practitioners might not be available for whatever reason. Lack of proper medical awareness might impair a patient’s decision concerning the medication to take. A patient might as well be in a state that makes him/her unable to make rational decision concerning the medication to take. Mostly, these are extreme case of sickness like stroke-induced coma or patient in vegetative state and therefore unable to even communicate. Psychologically affected patients might as well not be expected to make appropriate medical decision concerning their bodies. In all these case the autonomy of the patient is significantly impaired and therefore somebody needs to make these decisions on their medication for them. IV. How do you distinguish between a sale representatives offering free samples and offering bribe? The need to promote drugs arises from the intense competition characterizing the drug market. Looked in the context of this cut-throat competition, there is a very high risk of compromising the health needs of the population for profits. This is best demonstrated by the increased use of incentive like free sample in the medical field, most of which are informed by the need to have physicians market drugs for drug companies offering such sample. It is only a pity that the giving of free sample has been hijacked by profit-maximizing multinational drug companies seeking to maximize their profits. However, it is not hard to identify a sale representative genuinely offering free sample and one offering a bribe camouflages as a free sample. First, the free sample should not be excessive. They should also be offered once in a while and not every time a sales representative passed-by. V. What ethical difference, if any, exists between a sale representative providing cancer support groups with financial assistance and information materials verses attending support group meetings to promote a drug directly to patients? An organizational culture has to encourage good ethical behaviors and totally discourage unethical behaviors. It might be ethical proper to provide support services to cancer patient irrespective of whether one is marketing cancer drugs. However, it creates a conflict of interest if such a sales representative embarks on a campaign to market his/her cancer drugs to those that he/she is seeking to support financially or otherwise. There ought to be a boundary between these two people if the conflict of interest is to be obviated completely. For instance, one can support such a group through proxies. As a sales representative selling cancer drugs, you can even channel your contributions through community organizations taking care of cancer patients but never directly as this will create a situation of indebtedness on the part of the patients which might translate to a conflict of interest. VI. What are your opinions of the Viagra, Cialias and Levitra marketing campaigns? Would you describe them as tasteful, offensive, informative or ethical? The practice and function of market campaign is criticized with the claims that it deliberately creates a partial truth about a certain product or medical service and exploits the weakness and fears users. Those (marketing campaign) of stimulating drugs like Viagra, Cialias and Levitra have particularly been castigated for their foul language that borders on immorality. However, it is important to note that the fact that these drugs focuses on improving the sexual performance warrants their marketing campaign to be bold enough in putting across this message to the population. If anything, a person with such a problem that the drug seeks to address will not find them offensive, disrespectful or even obscene. VII. Should there be special regulations governing the marketing of drugs to the elderly, children, medical patients: should the FDA return to striker regulations of drug advertisements? Elderly persons tend to use drugs more often at a higher rate as compared to young people, due to reasons of age which predisposes the elder to a multitude of terminal diseases such as cancer, heart disorders and Parkinson diseases (Harold, 2004, p. 15). Elderly persons at the age of 65 years and above are also more likely than young adults to experience health complications associated with certain prescription drugs. For instance due to their decreased kidney and liver functions, these elderly persons lack the ability to eliminate drugs from their body system as efficient as young adults would do. This exposes elderly people to side effects associated with drugs and ironically those associated with terminal diseases. This is what should inform the decision to institute special regulation and even prohibition in the marketing of drugs to the elderly. This regulation or prohibition should involve determining if the drugs are effective and safe for the elderly people who are expected to use them. Such regulation should also demand that all drug sponsors incorporate elderly people in clinical trials before such drugs can be said to be fit for the use of the elderly population, particularly due to their unique medical needs emanating primarily from their failing organ functions. Harold, J, Peter, S.H. Leeflang, & Dick, R, (2004). Decompose the Sales Promotion Bump with Store Data: Marketing Science Jeffrey, I, & Grande, H, (2004). The Three Faces of Consumer Promotions: California Management Review Varnelis, J, (2005). Taylor on Autonomy and Informed Consent: Journal of Value Inquiry Read More