Deontological Second Paper

MGMT 368 Business Ethics
Week 4 Deontological Second Paper Dropbox # 5
April 15, 2012

Direct-to-consumer drug advertising - Deontological Point ofView
For many years, consumers relied and depended on the expertise and knowledge of physicians to make decisions on their pharmaceutical needs. Before 1985, prescription drugs could not be advertised directly to consumers. The U.S Food and Drug Administration passed a rule that allowed Direct-to-consumer drug advertising in 1985. This ruling was passed on the condition that warning information was provided about side effects and other dangers. “Directto-consumer advertising is the promotion of prescription drugs through newspaper, magazine, television, and internet marketing. Drug companies also product a range of other material, including brochures and videos, that are available in doctors office or designed to be given to patients by medical professions or via patient groups.” ("Source Watch") Currently the United
States and New Zealand are the only two developed nations that allow direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs. Other nations feel that direct-to-consumer advertisements are often just sales pitches that pressure doctors to make unnecessary prescriptions.
("Prescription drug ads") I favor direct-to-consumer advertising/marketing of pharmaceutical drugs and believe that it is ethical. In this paper I will be using the deontological ethics of
Immanueal Kant' s Theory to support my reasoning. Immanuel Kant developed the most influential deontology. Kant argues that to act in the morally right way, people must act from duty. I favor the direct-to-consumer advertising. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the government's duty is to provide channels for pharmaceutical companies to directly communicate with its consumers. The purpose of this communication is to inform consumers about a variety of possible drugs to treat them. It is the duty of pharmaceutical companies to advertise accurately, including a great deal of warning information, side effects, and other dangers. The motive of advertising companies should be to inform and educate consumers on a variety of drugs for their illnesses allowing them to pursue their healthcare options. When the advertisements are viewed by patients,it encourages people to contact their doctor similar symptoms, it is the physician's duty to make a accurate diagnosis and give a prescription only if it is needed. The physician's motive should be to treat the patient to the best of their ability with effective medicines.
On the contrary, the argument would be that because the drugs have serious side effects that require a prescription, it should be up to physicians on whether the medicines is best for the patient. “Broadcast advertising creates false impressions about effectiveness and downplays downplays possible adverse effects. Such advertising leads to self-diagnosis.” (DeGeorge
Richard ) Patients then pressure physician's for the acceptable, popular drugs, and physician's often give in to the pressure to satisfy them, even though it is not a well-informed choice.
“Seeing the ads on TV increases patients trust in them when they are prescribed by their doctors, and simple name recognition makes the drugs more acceptable.” (DeGeorge Richard ) This makes treatment determinations difficult for physician. As there could be other drugs, not being advertised, that would work best for the patient. However is the the duty of the physician to use their expertise and knowledge of the patients condition to prescribe the best medicine for the patient. The physicians motive should be to treat the patient to the best of their ability with the

most effective medicines, not to satisfy the patient.
I conclude the morally right way would be to allow direct-to-consumer advertising is the morally right thing to do. If we do something because it is our duty, our motivations is respect for the code that make it our duty. The motive of the U.S Food and Drug Administration is to keep patients well-informed. Therefore, it is their duty to provide the channels to do so through directto-consumer advertising.

DeGeorge Richard, T. Business Ethics. 7th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall,
2010.
. "Alec Exposed." Source Watch. N.p., 11 June 2010. Web. 15 Apr 2012.
.

. "Should prescription drugs be advertised directly to consumers?." Prescription drug ads.
ProCon.org, 2012. Web. 15 Apr 2012.