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Pharmaceutical company advertising practices: Call to arms
PH C
GUEST EDITORIAL
Pharmaceutical Company Advertising Practices: Call to Arms
Bambi Alexander-Banys, RN
I
ncreasing public knowledge of the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) is essential to the future of the profession. The ongoing National Nurse Practitioner Marketing Campaign (supported by NAPNAP), while crucial in the battle to shape public opinion and increase awareness, is also expensive. As predominantly undercompensated professionals, it is imperative that we also explore alternative, more costeffective means of achieving our marketing goals. Most urgently, we should persuade others in the health care industry to transition to marketing practices that increase public awareness of NPs. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars advertising directly to consumers via television, radio, print media, and the Internet. Although their direct support of NPs through inclusion and recognition is appreciated, current pharmaceutical company marketing practices often reinforce the traditional notion that doctors are the true providers; their advertisements frequently include pharmacists as the only other consumer resource. We should open a dialogue regarding pharmaceutical company advertisements and Web sites that instruct patients to talk to their “doctor” about specific medications because “only your doctor can prescribe....” These advertisements undermine NPs’ scope of practice and foster public opinion that we are “lessthan” providers. It is time we join forces in a coordinated effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to change
March/April 2002
their advertising practices. Just as we communicate our interests to politicians, so should we express ourselves to pharmaceutical companies.
I
t is time we join forces
in a coordinated effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to change their advertising practices.
Take a moment during each visit from pharmaceutical representatives to share with them your concerns about their company’s advertising practices. Be as clear as possible and provide specific recommendations, such as changes in wording from “doctor” to “physician or nurse practitioner” or to “primary care provider.” Ask representatives for their suggestions for the best way to communicate your concerns to management. To avoid
making representatives feel “caught” in the middle, offer to contact their supervisors directly to share your concerns. Be assertive and remember to follow up. Representatives visit providers because the drug companies know that these visits, and the rapport they generate, positively affect your prescriptive practices. If you are unhappy, they will be concerned. In addition, we must communicate directly with each pharmaceutical company’s corporate marketing executive. Send letters to each manufacturer outlining your concerns and recommending simple, inexpensive solutions such as minor changes in wording. As with all effective letters, clarity and specificity are essential in convincing these companies that our needs warrant consideration and action. Take a moment to estimate the percentage of your practice that is devoted to patients with problems treated by their products. For example, inform the makers of asthma medications that 20% of your patients have asthma. Do not neglect the over-the-counter products that you may be recommending, such as nutritional supplements. See Box 1 for a list of major manufacturers and their highprofile products. Box 2 contains pharmaceutical company contact information.
Bambi Alexander-Banys is a Masters candidate at Boston College School of Nursing. Reprint requests: Bambi Alexander-Banys, RN; [email protected]. J Pediatr Health Care. (2002). 16, 49-50. Copyright © 2002 by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. 0891-5245/2002/$35.00 + 0
25/8/121543
doi:10.1067/mph.2002.121543
49
PH GUEST EDITORIAL C
Alexander-Banys
BOX 1 Pharmaceutical companies and their main products Abbott Laboratories • Biaxin • Depakote • Ensure • Hytrin • Isomil • Lupron • Pedialyte • PediaSure • Similac • Zestril AstraZeneca • Cefotan • Diprivan • EMLA • Plendil • Prilosec • Pulmicort • Rhinocort • Seroquel • Tenormin
• • • • • •
Glucophage Isocal (MJ) Serzone Tequin VANIQA Zerit
Eli Lilly • Axid • Darvon • Humulin • Humalog • Keflex • Prozac • Serafem • Zyprexa
GlaxoSmithKline • Advair • Amoxil • Augmentin • Avandia • Bactroban • Beclovent • Beconase Aventis • Ceftin • Allegra • Combivir • Azmacort • Compazine • Carafate • Coreg • DDAVP • Dexedrine • Lasix • Eskalith • Lovenox • Flonase • Nasacort • Flovent Bristol-Myers • Imitrex Squibb (also owns • Paxil Mead Johnson • Relafen [MJ]) • Requip • BuSpar • Serevent • Enfamil (MJ) • Stelazine • Excedrin
• • • • • • • •
Tagamet Thorazine Valtrex Ventolin Wellbutrin SR Zofran Zovirax Zyban
Merck • Comvax • Fosamax • Hyzaar • M-M-R II • Pedvax HIB • Pepcid • Pneumovax • Propecia • Recombivax HB • Singulair • Varivax • Vaqta • Vioxx • Zocor Pfizer • Benadryl • Desitin • Dilantin • Lipitor • Neosporin • Neurontin • Norvasc • Viracept • Zithromax • Zoloft Pharmacia • Ambien • Calan
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Celebrex Cleocin Cytotec Demulen Depo-Provera Flagyl Genotropin Halcion Heparin Lomotil Lunelle Micronase Motrin Nicotrol Rogaine Solu-Medrol Tolinase Xanax
Wyeth • Artane • Ativan • Cordarone • Dimetane • Effexor • FluShield • HibTITER • Inderal • Isordil • Lo/Ovral • Norplant Ovral • Ovrette • Phenergan • Pnu-Imune • Premarin • Prevenar • Reglan • Robaxin • Robitussin
BOX 2 Pharmaceutical company contact information Abbott www.abbott.com
GlaxoSmithKline www.gsk.com
AstraZeneca www.astrazeneca-us.com
Merck www.merck.com
Aventis www.aventispharma-us.com
Pfizer www.pfizer.com
Bristol-Myers Squibb www.bms.com
Pharmacia www.pharmacia.com
Eli Lilly www.lilly.com
Wyeth www.wyeth.com
50
Volume 16 Number 2
B
y altering their
advertising language from “physician” to “primary care provider” or specifically adding NPs, pharmaceutical companies would profoundly increase public familiarity with NPs as providers and valuable resources.
NPs provide a large percentage of primary care and write a great deal of prescriptions. NPs are a huge, and growing, source of revenue for pharmaceutical companies, evidenced by the aggressiveness of companies’ direct marketing to NPs. We have won battles for legislation, jobs, and reimbursement by outlining cost-effectiveness; let us again speak the corporate language and use the persuasive power of economics to convince pharmaceutical companies to improve the message being conveyed to the American public. By altering their advertising language from “physician” to “primary care provider” or specifically adding NPs, pharmaceutical companies would profoundly increase public familiarity with NPs as providers and valuable resources. This minor change has the potential to more positively affect public opinion than many financially costly endeavors. The only sacrifice is the small amount of time and energy required to speak with pharmaceutical representatives and write a handful of letters, clearly a tiny investment for such a large dividend.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC HEALTH CARE
GUEST EDITORIAL
Pharmaceutical Company Advertising Practices: Call to Arms
Bambi Alexander-Banys, RN
I
ncreasing public knowledge of the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) is essential to the future of the profession. The ongoing National Nurse Practitioner Marketing Campaign (supported by NAPNAP), while crucial in the battle to shape public opinion and increase awareness, is also expensive. As predominantly undercompensated professionals, it is imperative that we also explore alternative, more costeffective means of achieving our marketing goals. Most urgently, we should persuade others in the health care industry to transition to marketing practices that increase public awareness of NPs. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars advertising directly to consumers via television, radio, print media, and the Internet. Although their direct support of NPs through inclusion and recognition is appreciated, current pharmaceutical company marketing practices often reinforce the traditional notion that doctors are the true providers; their advertisements frequently include pharmacists as the only other consumer resource. We should open a dialogue regarding pharmaceutical company advertisements and Web sites that instruct patients to talk to their “doctor” about specific medications because “only your doctor can prescribe....” These advertisements undermine NPs’ scope of practice and foster public opinion that we are “lessthan” providers. It is time we join forces in a coordinated effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to change
March/April 2002
their advertising practices. Just as we communicate our interests to politicians, so should we express ourselves to pharmaceutical companies.
I
t is time we join forces
in a coordinated effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to change their advertising practices.
Take a moment during each visit from pharmaceutical representatives to share with them your concerns about their company’s advertising practices. Be as clear as possible and provide specific recommendations, such as changes in wording from “doctor” to “physician or nurse practitioner” or to “primary care provider.” Ask representatives for their suggestions for the best way to communicate your concerns to management. To avoid
making representatives feel “caught” in the middle, offer to contact their supervisors directly to share your concerns. Be assertive and remember to follow up. Representatives visit providers because the drug companies know that these visits, and the rapport they generate, positively affect your prescriptive practices. If you are unhappy, they will be concerned. In addition, we must communicate directly with each pharmaceutical company’s corporate marketing executive. Send letters to each manufacturer outlining your concerns and recommending simple, inexpensive solutions such as minor changes in wording. As with all effective letters, clarity and specificity are essential in convincing these companies that our needs warrant consideration and action. Take a moment to estimate the percentage of your practice that is devoted to patients with problems treated by their products. For example, inform the makers of asthma medications that 20% of your patients have asthma. Do not neglect the over-the-counter products that you may be recommending, such as nutritional supplements. See Box 1 for a list of major manufacturers and their highprofile products. Box 2 contains pharmaceutical company contact information.
Bambi Alexander-Banys is a Masters candidate at Boston College School of Nursing. Reprint requests: Bambi Alexander-Banys, RN; [email protected]. J Pediatr Health Care. (2002). 16, 49-50. Copyright © 2002 by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. 0891-5245/2002/$35.00 + 0
25/8/121543
doi:10.1067/mph.2002.121543
49
PH GUEST EDITORIAL C
Alexander-Banys
BOX 1 Pharmaceutical companies and their main products Abbott Laboratories • Biaxin • Depakote • Ensure • Hytrin • Isomil • Lupron • Pedialyte • PediaSure • Similac • Zestril AstraZeneca • Cefotan • Diprivan • EMLA • Plendil • Prilosec • Pulmicort • Rhinocort • Seroquel • Tenormin
• • • • • •
Glucophage Isocal (MJ) Serzone Tequin VANIQA Zerit
Eli Lilly • Axid • Darvon • Humulin • Humalog • Keflex • Prozac • Serafem • Zyprexa
GlaxoSmithKline • Advair • Amoxil • Augmentin • Avandia • Bactroban • Beclovent • Beconase Aventis • Ceftin • Allegra • Combivir • Azmacort • Compazine • Carafate • Coreg • DDAVP • Dexedrine • Lasix • Eskalith • Lovenox • Flonase • Nasacort • Flovent Bristol-Myers • Imitrex Squibb (also owns • Paxil Mead Johnson • Relafen [MJ]) • Requip • BuSpar • Serevent • Enfamil (MJ) • Stelazine • Excedrin
• • • • • • • •
Tagamet Thorazine Valtrex Ventolin Wellbutrin SR Zofran Zovirax Zyban
Merck • Comvax • Fosamax • Hyzaar • M-M-R II • Pedvax HIB • Pepcid • Pneumovax • Propecia • Recombivax HB • Singulair • Varivax • Vaqta • Vioxx • Zocor Pfizer • Benadryl • Desitin • Dilantin • Lipitor • Neosporin • Neurontin • Norvasc • Viracept • Zithromax • Zoloft Pharmacia • Ambien • Calan
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Celebrex Cleocin Cytotec Demulen Depo-Provera Flagyl Genotropin Halcion Heparin Lomotil Lunelle Micronase Motrin Nicotrol Rogaine Solu-Medrol Tolinase Xanax
Wyeth • Artane • Ativan • Cordarone • Dimetane • Effexor • FluShield • HibTITER • Inderal • Isordil • Lo/Ovral • Norplant Ovral • Ovrette • Phenergan • Pnu-Imune • Premarin • Prevenar • Reglan • Robaxin • Robitussin
BOX 2 Pharmaceutical company contact information Abbott www.abbott.com
GlaxoSmithKline www.gsk.com
AstraZeneca www.astrazeneca-us.com
Merck www.merck.com
Aventis www.aventispharma-us.com
Pfizer www.pfizer.com
Bristol-Myers Squibb www.bms.com
Pharmacia www.pharmacia.com
Eli Lilly www.lilly.com
Wyeth www.wyeth.com
50
Volume 16 Number 2
B
y altering their
advertising language from “physician” to “primary care provider” or specifically adding NPs, pharmaceutical companies would profoundly increase public familiarity with NPs as providers and valuable resources.
NPs provide a large percentage of primary care and write a great deal of prescriptions. NPs are a huge, and growing, source of revenue for pharmaceutical companies, evidenced by the aggressiveness of companies’ direct marketing to NPs. We have won battles for legislation, jobs, and reimbursement by outlining cost-effectiveness; let us again speak the corporate language and use the persuasive power of economics to convince pharmaceutical companies to improve the message being conveyed to the American public. By altering their advertising language from “physician” to “primary care provider” or specifically adding NPs, pharmaceutical companies would profoundly increase public familiarity with NPs as providers and valuable resources. This minor change has the potential to more positively affect public opinion than many financially costly endeavors. The only sacrifice is the small amount of time and energy required to speak with pharmaceutical representatives and write a handful of letters, clearly a tiny investment for such a large dividend.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC HEALTH CARE