Pharmaceutical Advertising
Pharmaceutical Advertising
Living in a culture that is so heavily influenced by media and advertising, it is almost impossible to open a magazine, watch television, or even walk down the street without seeing an advertisement for prescription drugs. Since its start in the early 19th century, the pharmaceutical industry has expanded to become one of the fastest growing, most influential and successful industries today. Over the years, many factors such as innovative technologies, new regulations, and company mergers and takeovers, have contributed to the rapid growth of this industry. However, on top of these factors lies the most powerful and persuasive reason why our society has become a drug-obsessive, pill-popping culture: the excessive, overwhelming marketing of prescription drugs to the public. From producing countless misleading prescription drug commercials to forming alliances with doctors by giving them free gifts, pharmaceutical companies have deceitfully found many ways to reach the public and increase their profits. In the past, the marketing of prescription drugs was mainly targeted at health care professionals so they could consult with patients and make informed decisions about prescribing new medications. However, in the 1990s, pharmaceutical drug companies started using new marketing strategies, and in addition to targeting health care professionals, they turned their attention towards patients. The industry’s new market strategy: advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers. This kind of promoting, technically known as direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), soon became the main focus for the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to increase its sales and profits. Soon enough every major drug company was using direct-to-consumer advertising because of the dramatic results it produced and it played a key role in competing with other companies in the industry. In addition, in 1997 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed restrictions on
Living in a culture that is so heavily influenced by media and advertising, it is almost impossible to open a magazine, watch television, or even walk down the street without seeing an advertisement for prescription drugs. Since its start in the early 19th century, the pharmaceutical industry has expanded to become one of the fastest growing, most influential and successful industries today. Over the years, many factors such as innovative technologies, new regulations, and company mergers and takeovers, have contributed to the rapid growth of this industry. However, on top of these factors lies the most powerful and persuasive reason why our society has become a drug-obsessive, pill-popping culture: the excessive, overwhelming marketing of prescription drugs to the public. From producing countless misleading prescription drug commercials to forming alliances with doctors by giving them free gifts, pharmaceutical companies have deceitfully found many ways to reach the public and increase their profits. In the past, the marketing of prescription drugs was mainly targeted at health care professionals so they could consult with patients and make informed decisions about prescribing new medications. However, in the 1990s, pharmaceutical drug companies started using new marketing strategies, and in addition to targeting health care professionals, they turned their attention towards patients. The industry’s new market strategy: advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers. This kind of promoting, technically known as direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), soon became the main focus for the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to increase its sales and profits. Soon enough every major drug company was using direct-to-consumer advertising because of the dramatic results it produced and it played a key role in competing with other companies in the industry. In addition, in 1997 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed restrictions on