Pharmaceutical marketing
Under Pharma Marketing refers to the advertising or the advertising for the sale of pharmaceutical products and medicines . The pharmaceutical, vaccine and medical device manufacturers are counted among the industries with the highest sales. The competitors are in competition, the competition for sales markets is tough.
In 2015, the pharmaceutical industry in Germany manufactured products worth 29.6 billion euros (a slight decrease of 2.8% compared to the previous year). Around 30% are used for marketing expenses, only 10% are used for drug development. In 2013, spending on advertising was EUR 0.87 billion.
Legal background
In many countries, advertising by pharmaceutical companies is restricted by law. Only in America and New Zealand is it allowed to advertise prescription drugs.
In Germany, non-prescription drugs can be publicly advertised, for which the companies use different advertising media and media. TV spots are especially popular. The notice "In the event of risks and side effects, ask your doctor or pharmacist" is legally required.
In Germany, prescription drugs may only be advertised in specialist circles (e.g. doctors, pharmacists and other members of the health professions). They should convince the doctors of the effectiveness and the objective benefit of their drugs. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical companies must state the active ingredients, side effects and warnings in their advertising.
Marketing campaigns
Despite the ban, manufacturers find marketing strategies to increase awareness of their products. A popular method is to change the form of the drug, for example a gel is developed instead of a tablet. Furthermore, the range of applications can be expanded if a drug should no longer only help against headaches, but also against the flu.
To plan marketing campaigns, manufacturers work with doctors, self-help groups and PR agencies, among others.
In order to increase awareness of the drugs, training courses and conferences for doctors are sponsored or run by the PR agencies. The manufacturers also try to work with opinion leaders, respected doctors and scientists. Pharmaceutical companies use information websites to try to provide objective information about certain diseases or health issues.
criticism
The behavior of pharmaceutical companies bordering on corruption undermines the special relationship of trust between doctor and patient. Critics complain about the lack of awareness of the specialist staff about a dubious handling of their own influenceability. In a survey of 200 doctors in private practice, only 6% of the respondents thought they could be influenced; at the same time, 21% saw that their colleagues could be influenced. A prerequisite for financial support is the lack of transparency in the healthcare system.
Cooperation with self-help groups is also criticized, and it is criticized that the industry specifically addresses them and uses them for their advertising purposes.
Invented clinical pictures
Sometimes pharmaceutical companies also try to create the need for a drug. For example, the limit values for a high cholesterol level have been lowered. Furthermore, many diseases are “pre-treated”, for example pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, pre-dementia and pre-osteoporosis - although the supposed patients have no symptoms.
These phenomena are referred to as invented diseases (English: disease mongering ). Doctors make targeted (incorrect) diagnoses in order to strengthen the pharmaceutical market.
Normal life processes (for example hair loss in men) are viewed as a medical problem, rare symptoms are presented as serious illnesses, and slight complaints are the harbingers of later secondary illnesses.
Menopause
A common example of invented diseases is menopause. For centuries they were considered a normal and natural process in a woman's life. In the 1990s, however, a form of therapy was developed that was supposed to restore the alleged hormone deficiency with the help of medication.
Sissi syndrome
The Sissi syndrome, named after the Austrian Empress Elisabeth ("Sissi"), describes (predominantly) women who appear to be very active on the outside, but who are supposedly suffering from depression . The clinical picture first appeared at the end of the 1990s - it later emerged that the clinical picture was deliberately developed and disseminated by PR agencies on behalf of pharmaceutical manufacturers.
"Addyi"
In 2015 the drug "addyi" was launched on the market as Viagra for women. This medication was intended to reduce female sexual dysfunction. Side effects of the drug were dizziness and fainting, it was supposed to serve as an antidepressant . Critics complain that the woman's sexual disorder has not been proven and that the drug is therefore unnecessary.
Individual evidence
- ^ Avoxa Mediengruppe Deutscher Apotheker GmbH: Pharmaceutical industry: Marketing under criticism. In: Pharmaceutical newspaper online. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ↑ Pharmaceutical marketing costs. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Turn the volume down on drug ads. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Turn the Volume Down on Drug Ads. In: New York Times. The Editorial Board, November 27, 2015, accessed November 27, 2015.
- ↑ CB Sufrin, JS Ross: Pharmaceutical industry marketing: understanding its impact on women's health. In: Obstetrical & gynecological survey. Volume 63, Number 9, September 2008, pp. 585-596. doi: 10.1097 / OGX.0b013e31817f1585 . PMID 18713478 (Review).
- ↑ Pharmaceutical industry marketing strategies. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ↑ mezis.de
- ↑ K. Lieb, S. Brandtönis: A survey of resident specialists on how to deal with pharmaceutical representatives. In: Dtsch Arztebl Int. 107 (22), 2010, pp. 392-398.
- ↑ herzinfarkt-alternativen.de
- ↑ focus.de
- ↑ bmv.bz.it
- ↑ sueddeutsche.de
- ↑ zeit.de