The Ethical Aspects of Marketing in Health Care, Term Paper Example

Introduction

Case study: – The team member has draft versions of brochures and DVD’s espousing the benefits of the drug; these are to be distributed to physicians and patients as a way to boost sales. The team member also suggests that a bonus system be set in place for your sales representatives in their territories in order to increase the number of prescriptions that physicians make for the drug (case study details).

Ethical aspects

What are some of the ethical issues associated with this marketing strategy?

The first ethical issue relates to forging physicians to prescribe a drug without investigating its relevance in the particular patient care setting. Most drugs on the market currently have numerous side effects and until a large number of patients’ organs are destroyed, then it is recalled with minimal or no compensation to persons loosing bodily functions. Ethically, this is inappropriate and violation of patients’ rights for safety in a health care environment. For example in a fee-for service approach clients/ patients will ultimately be prescribed a series of drugs, which they do not need, but are pressured to take due to a drug drive trying to increase sales within the organization (Brezis, 2008).

Next, is an information validity issue communicated in DVDs/ brochures can be questioned and how ethical it is to conduct this process. These team members are not pharmacists. What authority do they have advertising/marketing a drug without proper credentials? Marketing pharmaceuticals to health care providers embraces four basic strategies. The first is gifting. This is a procedure whereby a licensed pharmaceutical official offers samples of the drug to a health care provider and follow up with continuing medical education on the drug sample offered   (Smith, 2003).

In the second instance licensed pharmaceutical official meets with medical providers/ organization managers to discuss drug use and side effects before a decision is made regarding whether the drug use would be beneficial to patients in that environment or the organization. Thirdly, E-detailing is used to reach physicians who refuse to have an appointment with pharmaceutical representatives. The fourth approach is advertising the drug through internet based resources such as websites. In the case study referenced for this review these team members have not met the marketing criteria and if they did the strategies adopted were unethical according to the pharmacy code of conduct (Smith, 2003).

More importantly, recent revisions in the pharmacy marketing code of ethics prohibit offering incentives to providers for purchasing products. These incentives included purchasing restaurant meals for physicians/health care workers. Since these team members in this case study are not licensed pharmaceutical officials it is unethical marketing drugs, which is the responsibility of a duly authorized person. Therefore, the suggestion that a bonus system be set in place for my sales representatives in their territories in order to increase the number of prescriptions that physicians make for the drug is morally unfair to both patients and physicians who have to prescribe these medications (Consumers international, 2007).

How would you address these issues as the manager of your division?

There are two major ethical issues surfacing here; one pertains to the obligation of health care practitioners and organizations for providing safe health care under every circumstance even when pressured to maximize profits. The next important moral obligation is for physicians to maintain professionalism in prescribing for patients just the drugs they need for resolution of the condition for which medical attention is sought.

Consequently, this enthusiastic team leader would be offered a copy of the pharmacy code of ethics along with the patient’s bill of rights. Thereafter, while speeches about the proposed drug could be entertained, this will be conducted after some private discussion concerning provisions outlined in these two documents. It was discovered that the patient bill of rights gives very little rights to the patients exclusively, but the rights are given over to providers and physicians.

For example, the most recent revisions state that insured patients have the right  ‘to medical decisions made by a doctor; see a medical specialist; go to the closest emergency room; designate a pediatrician as a primary care doctor for their children; keep the same doctor throughout their medical treatment;  obtain the prescription drugs their doctor prescribes; access a fair and independent appeals process if care is denied; and hold their health plan accountable for harm done’ (Summary of the McCain-Edwards-Kennedy Patients’ Bill of Rights S.1052 2001). Despite these limitations health care providers still have an ethical obligation to provide the public/ insured with safe quality health care. It was noted that the uninsured seems to have no patient rights.

Conclusion

In discussing the pharmaceutical code of ethics, roles of physicians, health care organization managers/team members; marketing managers and pharmacists in the marketing process will be clarified. Subsequently, as manager of a health care marketing division of this reputable pharmaceutical drug company I would suggest that we adapt an appointment approach towards marketing this drug. Send out emails to physicians alerting them to the drug use and side effects. Those who are interested would are asked to request an appointment to further discuss price and dispensation of the drug.

Research shows where 23% of physicians request to see reps, but over 50% respond to E-detailing. Follow up drug education for physicians and patients are mandatory in this program. Drug marketing in United States of American has grave ethical connotation since patients are prescribed drugs which they find very difficult to take without serious side effect. Besides, propaganda concerning big pharma’s desire to escalate drug profits has reached the public’s ear. They are now very cautious about taking prescriptions medications (Brezis, 2008).

References

Brezis, M. (2008).  Big pharma and health care: unsolvable conflict of interests between private enterprise and public health.  Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci; 45 (2); 83–9.

Consumers international (2007). Drugs, Doctors and Dinners: How drug companies influence health in the developing world. Retrieved March, 15^th, 2014 from http://www.consumersinternational.org/media/311707/drugs,%20doctors%20and%20dinners.pdf

Smith, M.  (2003). Pharmaceutical Marketing: Strategy and cases. CRC Press

Summary of the McCain-Edwards-Kennedy Patients’ Bill of Rights S.1052 2001.  Senate Democratic Caucus.