Pharmaceutical Reps: The Ethics Behind Marketing To Doctors

Recently, I watched a segment of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, an HBO series in which comedian John Oliver approaches debatable topics with a comedic touch. This particular segment discussed marketing to doctors, which caught my attention immediately being that I’m very involved in business/marketing. Essentially the main idea was this, pharmaceutical companies employ representatives to sell to doctors/ encourage them to prescribe to patients. They also contract doctors to do press conferences, or commercials about their drug. Which at first look seems like logical, and ethical marketing. However, consider this, many of these pharmaceutical representatives are attractive young women, and they do this for a reason. The idea behind any pharmaceutical deals is to draw the doctors in, and they do this through sexual attraction, free lunch which reps often bring to the office, and commissions. I can’t think of a more UN ethical business model than bribing doctors to prescribe patients their drug. So essentially what this is telling me is that if I go to a doctor, and they prescribe a medication for whatever is ailing me, which may be the reason they may be doing so is because they are contracted in some way by a pharmaceutical company? Drugs are a serious business, and not something that should be prescribed because you have been swayed with a beautiful women, free lunch, and cash for representing their drug. These drugs have the potential to kill you, and in fact my Aunt was a victim of negligent doctor. She was prescribe two drugs that she shouldn’t be taken together, and unfortunately lost her life because of it. And it’s no wonder why these doctors would be so negligent when they’re being bribed with thousands of dollars to say, “Oh you have a cough, I have just the cure.” Next time you go to a doctor, I strongly encourage you to ask your doctor if the drug they are prescribing are ones they are being paid to represent.