Pharmaceutical Public Relations

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that companies often encounter ethical issues and product problems, which open them to criticism and challenge; therefore, the way they handle the issue can help or hinder their public relations process and the image the public has of the company. The author points out that, in general, companies, which take responsibility quickly and work to get out all the facts, fare better than those that stonewall, which for many executives seems to be their first action as in the case of both Merck and its product VIOXX, Pfizer and its product Celebrex. The paper praises Johnson & Johnson's Direct-to-the-Consumer (DTC) marketing campaign because it shows concern for what concerns its customers and offering the consumer information to be used in making decisions; however, the same danger applies if a problem erupts, but the strategy fits well with current public attitudes and with business methods that burnish a company's image.

From the Paper:

"Critics of Pfizer note not only that the company may have had information on the dangers long before the issue was revealed and did nothing but that the company advertised in a way that minimized any risks and so lulled the public into accepting the safety of the product:
Several of the medical experts convened last month by the Food and Drug Administration to review Vioxx, Pfizer Inc.'s Celebrex and related painkillers lashed out against advertising that minimized the risks of the medicines and led many patients to use them unnecessarily."

More papers on Pharmaceutical Public Relations:

• Essay # 64654 : "Public Relations and Johnson & Johnson"
• Essay # 67786 : "Crisis Communication in Public Relations"
• Persuasive Essay # 133543 : "Pharmaceutical Marketing"

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