MarketingWellness and Prevention
MarketingWellness and Prevention
Wellnessand prevention marketing programs are becoming more and more popularamong people globally as individuals are growing more anxious withtheir wellbeing. Surveys conducted in 2013 indicate that the size ofthe market in the world for weight loss, nutrition, and healthyeating has increased to high levels (Hawk & Evans, 2013). Healthconsciousness has been made a priority by most people both employeesand employers from the private sector. Most employers have introducedprograms that enhance wellness and prevention through the cutting offhealth insurance costs in the workplace. A survey conducted in 2011explains that around 91 percent of organizations across the UnitedStates implemented health promotion and awareness programs that wouldimprove favorable well-being outcomes within the workplace (Busbin, &Self, 2013). Such programs are still being utilized today, and theyhave benefits such reduced expenses on medical care, decreasedabsenteeism, and improved productivity to the company (Anderko,2012). This research paper focuses on analyzing the best ways throughwhich wellness and prevention initiatives within an organization canbe marketed by assessing the existing programs.
Supposethat one is given the function of managing medical care marketingprograms sector for a particular pharmaceutical drug (OxyContin).Then a junior marketing team member recommends the increase in thebudget set for inviting professional medical care providers forattending a seminar where the team will be trained as speakers. Themain objective of the marketing plan involves influencing physiciansto prescribe the pharmaceutical drug. The physician`s drafts versionsof the DVD`s and brochures promoting the advantages presented by thedrug that is to be supplied to patients by physicians as a way ofincreasing sales. The junior physician also suggests the inclusion ofa bonus system for all the sales representatives that is dependent onthe total sales that will increase the prescriptions each physicianwill make in their areas for the drug (Hawk & Evans, 2013)..
EthicalIssues that are Associated with this Marketing Strategy
Themarketing strategy discussed above has several ethical issuesassociated with it and one of the issues is that the first goal setinvolves influencing the physicians to put more focus on prescribingthe drug. Additionally, the physicians are rewarded with a huge bonusfor increased sale of the OxyContin drug in the areas where they areposted (Geangu et al., 2013). The result is always characterized by alarge number of patients visiting the clinicians seeking prescriptionwith an opioid. Tests undertaken on the effectiveness of usingopioids showed that the opioids only relieve pain on the short-termbasis particularly for the chronic diseases (Francer et al., 2014).It, therefore, means that the drug is not as effective as thephysicians are supposed to describe so as to increase sales (Hawk &Evans, 2013). The opioid drugs do not guarantee consistency in theirfunctioning, and thus people suffering from a chronic disease causingterminal pain cannot be relieved pain entirely. The informationprovided by physicians is meant for influencing the decisions of thepatients so that they can seek prescriptions from the clinicians(Geangu et al., 2013). Lastly, the marketing strategy also requiresthe physicians to attend seminars where they will gather educationaland scientific information. The organization emphasizes on theattendance so that it would benefit them in marketing the drug (Arenaet al., 2013).
Thewellness and prevention marketing strategies require designs that areunique and with different approaches as compared to other products.With sufficient funds, any organization undertaking marketingprograms on wellness and prevention should focus on conductingextensive research. The outcomes of such research can be used inmaking decisions that are important in developing the marketingstrategies. The goal of any marketing plan that involves promotingwellness and prevention include motivating the patients on leading ahealthier lifestyle. Companies will avoid the use of negative contentduring any marketing strategy they may undertake for their products,and they try to build a positive image of their services whileadvertising (Dement et al., 2015). The marketers focus on educatingthe targeted populations on good diet and nutrition, and that`s whyprevention specialists are trained on educating the patients onhealth value preventions. One common marketing approach that is usedis founded on the Behavior-image Model that recommends the linking ofthe image of the company and the risk of using the substance beingadvertised (Busbin, & Self, 2013).
Thepast few years have seen the cost of health care services increaseparticularly for the pharmaceutical drugs. The Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) laws should check on the costs of pharmaceuticaldrugs and also regulate the marketing of such drugs. Most of thepharmaceutical companies are after increasing their sales, and thusthey use different promotional means that encourages more patients toseek the prescription of their drugs without sufficient knowledge onthe adverse impacts of such drugs (Arena et al., 2013). Therefore,Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should limit the promotion andmarketing content that pharmaceutical companies use to promote theirproducts to ensure the information that reaches the consumers iscredible and reliable and will not mislead the patients (Hawk &Evans, 2013). The mechanisms provided by the Food and DrugAdministration should focus on enabling improved standards of thepharmaceuticals offered without compromising the message thepharmaceutical companies should present to the consumers. The FDAshould also limit the marketing of pharmaceutical drugs so as toprevent unhealthy competition between the companies and thus reducechances of production of low-quality drugs (Anderko, 2012).
Itcan be recommended that the pharmaceutical companies should focus onpresenting only accurate information on the substances that theyoffer to patients. Advertising of pharmaceutical products improvescommunication that exists between patients and the physicians.Therefore, marketing of wellness and prevention should present thepharmaceutical company with an opportunity to create awareness to thecustomers on the importance of the drug and offer advice onpreventive measures. It is also recommendable that any pharmaceuticalcompany undertaking wellness and prevention marketing should ensurethe use of accurate and reliable content when implementing theirpromotional strategies. Any information utilized during marketingshould be reliable and not be misleading to the consumers (Geangu etal., 2013).
Conclusion
Insummary, wellness and prevention marketing has become a popular trendthat is being used by pharmaceutical companies around the world. Mostof these companies are using different strategies to market theirproducts and services, and it has lead to increased competition inthe health care industry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)tries to regulate the promotional approaches that thesepharmaceutical industries use to promote their products to ensurethey only provide information that is accurate and reliable to theconsumers. The pharmaceutical industry has adopted various approachesfor advertising such as the use physicians in the field to market forthe drugs manufactured by a particular company. Wellness andprevention programs have benefits such reduced expenses on medicalcare, decreased absenteeism, and improved productivity to thecompany.
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