Marketing paper - Essay Example

Task: Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Advertisement refers to the practice where manufacturers create awareness concerning their products and services to potential consumers, in an attempt to educate them of their new products and services. This is also in a bid to increase their sales. As a result, various drug companies advertise their products, with the key purpose of educating the public of the importance of their various medicines. However, some scrupulous drug corporations have shifted their emphasis to boosting their annual sales.

Therefore, this manuscript will mull over the issue, its ethicality and the pros and cons of such practices. Purpose of Drug Advertising The chief purpose of drug advertisement is to inform the public of drug uses and effectiveness, in addition to other information such as side effects. Various drug companies have achieved this goal, since the prime figure of the population acquire information on purchase of such drugs. Moreover, it aids in proper utilization of the drugs. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising also aids in changing the patients’ perception, and hence proper usage of the drugs (Vogel 156).

However, this has changed with time, and the manufacturers’ key purpose of their advertisement is to increase their annual revenue. The introduction of numerous pharmaceutical companies has sparked stiff competition within the field. This has prompted the manufacturers to spend huge funds to persuade patients into purchasing their products (Vogel 156). Additionally, these advertisements are aimed at luring doctors into prescribing their drugs over their opponents’ drugs. Besides, some manufacturers go to the extent of employing celebrities and medical practitioners to advertise their assorted drugs.

In my opinion, this is unethical, since it only aids in increasing their revenue, as opposed to the originally intended principle of educating the patients (Vogel 156). Pros and Cons DTC advertisement has played a key role in educating the public of the effectiveness of assorted drugs. However, this advertisement has its advantages, as well as demerits. The key advantage is that it creates an understanding of various disorders to patients, and ways in which they can assuage them (Vogel 157).

This boosts the health conditions of numerous patients, and even eliminates some of them. Besides, it aids in selling pharmaceutical products, thereby reducing wastages and thus, it protects the patients and their environment. Moreover, it boosts the firms’ annual revenue. It also increases the doctor-patient relations, thereby boosting health. However, the practice may have negative impacts, especially to the patients. Some manufacturer may overstate the benefits of their drugs, and thus mislead the patients.

This may compromise on the health of the patients, leading to adverse losses (Vogel 157). Moreover, some companies may coerce the doctors into prescribing inappropriate drugs to the patients, since their key objective is to boost their revenue (Vogel 157). Manufacturers’ social responsibility Drug manufacturers have the responsibility of being ethically upright in marketing their products. As such, they ought to apply patient-oriented drug advertisement, as opposed to the current money-oriented approach.

They ought to give accurate information concerning their drugs, and alleviate endangering their patients’ health. Besides, doctors should practice professional ethics and prescribe appropriate drugs to their patients. The government should also be involved in this endeavor, and pass laws that prohibit such unethical practices. Works Cited Vogel, Ronald. Pharmaceutical economics and public policy. Binghamton, NY: Routledge Publishers, 2007. Print.