Pharmaceuticals

Lavishing Doctors with Drug Money

by Bob Burton — April 1, 2008 - 10:16pm

Medicines Australia (MA), the peak drug industry lobby group, has unveiled details of how much its 42 member companies (and one non-member) spent in the last half of 2007 on each one of over 14,000 events that were designed to promote their drugs to doctors.

Main Source: 
Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia), March 29, 2008

Pricing Doctors

by Bob Burton — March 25, 2008 - 2:39pm

A proposal before the Massachusetts state Senate to ban drug company gifts to doctors is generating controversy. "To imply that doctors who have invested years and tens of thousands of dollars in their profession can be bought with a dinner or a package of Post-its is beneath contempt," wrote the husband of one doctor. But Dr. Daniel J.

Main Source: 
Boston Globe, March 19, 2008

Telling It Like It Is

by Bob Burton — March 25, 2008 - 1:27am

The director of external relations for Procter & Gamble, Mark Chakravarty, recently told a UK healthcare PR conference that the drug industry is less than popular with the public. "There is a high suspicion of the pharma industry. Greed, dishonesty and fraud are some of its associations. The clinical trial press this week and an increased number of drug scandals add to this image," he said.

Main Source: 
PR Week (UK), March 13, 2008

Big Pharma's Health Care Reform Playbook

by Sheldon Rampton — March 19, 2008 - 1:37am

"Congress' ability to curb the explosive rise in drug costs is a bellwether of the political prospects for health care reform," writes Merrill Goozner.

Main Source: 
Gooz News, March 13, 2008

Pfizer Pulls Deceptive Lipitor Ads

by Anne Landman — February 28, 2008 - 7:21pm

Drug maker Pfizer yielded to pressure from a Congressional committee and pulled deceptive Lipitor ads featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik. In one of the ads, created by the Kaplan Thaler Group, Dr.

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, February 25, 2008

The Invisible Hands Guiding Doctors' Continuing Education

by Bob Burton — February 26, 2008 - 11:18pm

Ray Moynihan reveals that while educational events have been advertised to Australian medical practitioners as being independent, behind the scenes sponsoring drug companies were being offered the chance to nominate speakers and topics relating to their drugs.

Main Source: 
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February 24, 2008

Beyond Advertising: The Pharmaceutical Industry's Hidden Marketing Tactics

by Mary Ebeling — February 21, 2008 - 1:00pm
  • Topics: Corporations, Health, Marketing, Pharmaceuticals, Science, U.S. Government, Women

    • In early January, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce began investigating celebrity endorsements in television ads for brand-name drugs. The investigation was sparked by Pfizer's commercials for its best-selling cholesterol drug Lipitor. These direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads feature Dr. Robert Jarvik, a pioneer in the development of the artificial heart. Viewers are not told that Jarvik is not a cardiologist, nor is he licensed to practice medicine. His presentation as a trusted expert, Pfizer presumably hopes, is enough to persuade viewers to ask their doctors for Lipitor by name. And that would help erode the increasing competition from generic alternatives.

    Merck Minimizes Accusations It Swindled the U.S. Government

    by Anne Landman — February 12, 2008 - 5:47pm

    The pharmaceutical company Merck agreed to a $650 million settlement to escape charges that it routinely overbilled the U.S. government for medicines.

    Main Source: 
    Washington Post, February 8, 2008

    CMD and Consumer Reports WebWatch Launch Full Frontal Scrutiny

    by Judith Siers-Poisson — January 29, 2008 - 2:42pm
  • Topics: Astroturf, Internet, Front Groups, Third Party Technique, Corporations, Democracy, Environment, Health, Pharmaceuticals, Public Relations, Science, Secrecy, Tobacco

    • "The American public deserves to know when someone is trying to persuade them." — U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Thursday, January 17, 2008

    Front Groups Beware of Full Frontal Scrutiny

    Today, the Center for Media and Democracy and our partners at Consumer Reports WebWatch launched an exciting new project: Full Frontal Scrutiny. The site seeks to shine a light on front groups -- organizations that state a particular agenda, while hiding or obscuring their identity, membership or sponsorship, or all three. Google the term "front groups" and the number one return is CMD's extensive articles on its SourceWatch site.

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