The Counterproductive Effect of Pharmaceutical Marketing in Pakistan: A Qualitative Study

This study explores the effects of pharmaceutical marketing on patients and society in Pakistan. Pharmaceutical marketing is an integral part of the drug industry, which channels product-related information to healthcare professionals. Physicians are the target audience as they prescribe medicine to the users. The pharmaceutical industry mobilizes all resources to influence physicians’ prescriptions in favor of their brands. It is commendable from the organizational perspective, however; it leads to unintended negative consequences for society. The primary reason is the blind pursuit of commercial interest and near-total neglect of ethical behavior in marketing drugs. This study conducted open-ended 20 interviews from primary stakeholders of this issue that includes physicians, pharmaceutical managers, and officials of drug regulatory authority through purposive sampling. The findings show that misleading promotional strategies influencing physicians are responsible for the misuse and abuse of drugs and antibiotics. Pharmaceutical drug incentivization, the personal obligation for physicians, skewed data, and inappropriate promotions were the major categories developed during analysis. The study recommends various steps to minimize these ill effects.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND DIGITALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE AMONG YOUTH: A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE

The term "digital" has been ingrained in our culture. At a quicker rate than the rest of the world, every industry has adapted to the digital era. Apart from the website, the pharmaceutical sector has yet to fully embrace digital marketing. More pharmaceutical and healthcare firms are using social media sites or eCommerce sites as digital marketing platforms in the wake of the Corona Virus pandemic. Some businesses are attempting to comprehend the actual worth of digital, while others are incorporating it into their whole marketing plan. In the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, digital marketing is displacing traditional marketing techniques. This research looked at a variety of topics, including marketing among youth, the present role of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical business, the influence of COVID-19, and current consumer buying behavior. The main goal is to learn about the past, comprehend the current shift, and forecast the consequences of pharmaceutical marketing in the future. This is accomplished by doing a thorough literature review and then presenting a questionnaire based on the findings for validation among the general public. KEY WORDS: Marketing, Health Services, Pharmaceuticals, COVID-19, Pandemic, Youth

Pharmaceutical Marketing Transformation due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Since COVID-19 spreads from one person to others, it is necessary to stay away from others or reduce contact. This habit or practice is called social distancing. It encourages people to stay at their homes and to avoid crowded and/or public places. Objective: To evaluate and discuss changes and shifts in the pharmaceutical marketing strategies due to COVID-19. Methods: This is a narrative review articles and we use triangulation method to collect the related information from multiple electronic database. The results and findings of the selected articles were summarized and synthesized. Results: As the number of COVID-19 infected people grows and the uncertainty of finding a cure continues, the people are becoming more apprehensive. Pharmaceutical companies made changes to their marketing strategies. From being too invested with in-person marketing, most companies are now exploring options that do not require as much physical interaction. Pharmaceutical companies have been reliant on telemarketing, digital marketing, and miscellaneous offers. This change is primarily driven by fear of being infected by the virus and self-preservation. Conclusions: Based on the studies collected and reviewed in this paper, the changes appear to be successful especially with regard to digital marketing. This review provides an insight to marketing managers in the pharmaceutical industryto continue adjusting and modifying theirmarketing strategies due to COVID-19.Because this study focused on a specific sector (i.e., pharmaceutical)the results cannot be generalized and extended to other sectors.Future studies are needed to investigate the trends of changes and shifts of the pharmaceutical marketing strategies due to COVID-19.

WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IN MARKETING THE PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Pharmaceutical marketing is the ability to reach the right health care professionals with the right note and spell. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary the business activity that involves finding out what customers want, using that information to design products and services, and selling them effectively. But recent studies on pharmaceutical marketing is full of controversy like issues and concerns of ethical and unethical marketing.