Should Marketing and Medication Mix?

This article, I admit, is going to be a tough one for me to write about. Why?

-I do not have any medical background whatsoever.

-I do not work in a pharmaceutical lab.

-I don't have any major illnesses that require for me to take any medications.


However, I do have experience in:

-Market research for pharmaceutical companies

- Physicians network development for insurance firms

This article will not address over-the-counter medication, but specifically about drugs that require a prescription from your doctor.

Pharmaceutical companies pour tons and tons of money into research and marketing campaigns. I can't open up a woman's magazine without finding at least 3-4 full-page ads for depression and birth control. Pharmaceutical sales is a very tough job. Rolling around a suitcase of samples and brochures while sitting in front of disgruntled doctors ain't easy.
Trust me: I tried getting a job as one and got rejected.

The ethical question is: Shouldn't your doctor, the one who actually knows your medical history, be your main source of information for new medication, and not some actress mumbling through the side-effects of the advertised medication?

It's unfortunate that most people's doctors aren't actually good family friends friends any longer. Some people don't even go to the same doctor for different ailments. As a result, this leaves a gaping hole for pharmacy companies to "market" their information on you. Once, when I was 24 yrs old I went to the doctor and insisted on this medication that one of my friends claimed gave her bigger boobs (a side effect, BTW). Ads were everywhere of young women going about life and feeling free of all inhibitions. I wanted to be like them: swimming miles in a pool and running through a field of flowers with my larger tits. The doctor shrugged, said ok, and prescribed me a 3 month supply. Did I get bigger boobs? Yes! But I also gained 25 pounds in 6 weeks and had the worst mood swings ever. Nooooo! The caution on box did say, "May cause weight gain...."

So what's a person to do in this situation? Call the doctor's office? Bother the Nurse? Talk to the legal drug dealer, a.k.a, the pharmacist?

This is going to a hard recommendation. Ethically I believe that the health-care system has an obligation to educate their patients about these different offerings and be the gate-keeper to a person's health. On the flip side, a person needs to have unbiased, qualified, and available resources to verify medication claims. In general, people are too jaded by the FDA to trust many of their research findings. As of right now, I can't really think of a good solution but I do know that something is wrong - marketing and medication, especially in the case of prescription drugs, should not mix.