NEW JERSEY, May 13, 2002: Price control legislation looming. HMOs running ads for generics. Threats of tighter regulations on DTC advertising. Fortune 500 companies banding together to control costs. Megabrands fading. Election year rhetoric growing. Pipelines trickling. Criticism flowing.

Have you ever seen a more exciting time to be marketing medicine?

Truthfully, we think our industry has taken enough of beating in the press during the last year -- and we believe it's time to do some "campaigning' of our own.

We at RxME are proud to be in the pharmaceutical industry. We take pride in knowing that at the end of the day, healthcare providers are smarter, better prepared to fulfill the oaths they took, to enhance and save lives -- thanks in some small way to what we do for a living. We are proud to know that somewhere, someone is taking a medicine that we helped shape -- and in so doing, helped a grandmother attend a graduation ceremony, a sister in law take part in a family reunion, or an average guy to take simple walk around a regular block on an ordinary day.

Say what you will about our industry, the fact is we're in the business of enhancing human life. Not harming it. We're about empowering people with information to take better care and control of their lives and well being. Not diminishing it.

They say that our society is taking more medicine than at any time in history. And the reason that's bad is...? Has anyone considered that we're doing a really good job of creating great drugs, and educating professionals and patients about these medications? Does anyone consider that people are relying on our medications to remain the healthiest society we have ever had at any time in the history of the world?

Statistics say that if you hit the age of 50 free of cancer, you will very likely see your 90th birthday. Can't we celebrate our role in increasing the average life expectancy? And maintaining the well being of Greatest Generation to Boomers to Gen Xers?

David Ogilvie once said; "It took teams of scientists decades to create the molecule before us. And we in marketing get two weeks to give it an identity. But if we do our jobs right, we'll have as much to do with the success of this molecule as those teams of scientists and all those years."

We think he got it right. But he wasn't really talking about medicine. And that's an important distinction. In advertising, it's market share on the line. In medical marketing, there are lives on the line. As such, ours is the most heavily regulated, most scrutinized of all industries. We don't shrink from that responsibility -- we take it very seriously. Despite the mind boggling hurdles, we're still doing a great job of informing, educating, empowering.

Former FDA commisioner David Kessler thinks so. He said so in a recent address in Boston at the DTC National Conference. He also said that the impression, or the perception is that prices are high because of marketing.

The problem we have is this: We live in a free market society. We spend lots of dollars, time, and brain cells to make a great product that potentially many people will need to live a healthy life. We advertise it to those potential users in traditional and nontraditional ways. Apparently, our target audience is intrigued enough to ask healthcare providers about it. Simultaneously,we have educated these healthcare providers about the benefits and risks of the drug, which had to pass years of strict scrutiny at many regulatory levels to gain FDA approval in the first place. And now, the physician prescribes it. Patients are pleased with the results, the drug is effective and safe. And everyone knows its name. And as such, is prescribed often. Now, we're asked to lower our prices -- because people think that there's too much money being spent on marketing the medicine?

We think this is an incredible double standard.

We don't profess to have easy answers. But we think the industry deserves to stand up for itself, and politely but persuasively get involved in the debate. To share our pride with the public, and remind everyone of our main objective of our industry: promoting health. Not harming it.

PositionInk is a weekly column that addresses issues relevant to pharmaceutical marketing. If youwant to contribute an article, or suggest one, please call 908-507-7379. Or email to info@rxme.com

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