The role and value of pharmaceutical marketing
R. Levy
National Pharmaceutical Council Inc., Reston, Va.
Pharmaceutical marketing is the last element of an information continuum,
where research concepts are transformed into practical therapeutic tools
and where information is progressively layered and made more useful to the
health care system. Thus, transfer of information to physicians through
marketing is a crucial element of pharmaceutical innovation. By providing
an informed choice of carefully characterized agents, marketing assists
physicians in matching drug therapy to individual patient needs.
Pharmaceutical marketing is presently the most organized and comprehensive
information system for updating physicians about the availability, safety,
efficacy, hazards, and techniques of using medicines. The costs of
pharmaceutical marketing are substantial, but they are typical of
high-technology industries that must communicate important and complex
information to sophisticated users. These costs are offset by savings
resulting from proper use of medicines and from lower drug costs owing to
price competition.
