| The increased use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription pharmaceuticals has caused everyone from physicians and patients to congressmen and professionals to question the ethics of the practice. Although the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regulates advertising content, healthcare professionals often criticize the practice on the basis of weakening the doctor-patient relationship and jeopardizing patient well-being. Pharmaceutical companies have found print and broadcast ads in DTC campaigns to greatly increase the sales of their products. However, because of the impact of DTC on patient lives and health, the ethics of the practice need examination.; The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether current DTC efforts are ethical and to create a model for ethical decision-making within the industry. In order to provide an effective model that satisfies ethical boundaries as well as corporate financial goals, I create a synthesis employing a normative approach with stakeholder theory from business ethics so that the large number of groups affected by DTC campaigns can have their needs appropriately addressed. Once an ethical model has been outlined, I analyze the visual and linguistic features of DTC advertisements to determine areas for ethical revision. I conclude with strategies for DTC decision-makers that satisfy ethical parameters while also enhancing the reputation and, thus, the success of pharmaceutical companies that utilize DTC campaigns. |
