Big Bad Pharma, a hard pill to swallow

The pharma industry creates medicines and other unique products created to save lives. Amazing right? I mean how could you have a bad reputation if you safe lives? Well… The Edelman Trust Barometer (2017) showed that consumers in Europe do not trust the industry. A Gallup poll (2016) even showed that it is the least trusted industry in the US. President Trump even went as far in the election period to claim “They are getting away with murder”. So, why do the public have such a bad image of these companies?

Symptoms

Well, Van den Bogaert et al (2014) studied the pharma industry and its reputation. It is mainly due to their unique position in society. Due to this they are being held to a very high standard. “The pharma industry are expected to produce, innovative, affordable and effective medicines and thus to improve and/or save lives”. The industry is therefore constantly compared to this standard.

Second, the pharma industry has always operated without much attention. It is a fairly recent phenomena are in the spotlights of the media and politicians. The media is educating the public but create negative stories because bad stories sell. In this environment the public reflects that the pharma industry is not meeting its societal standard. The most reoccurring criticisms are:

1) Profits

2) Pricing

3) Marketing vs Research and Development budgets

Possible Cure?

What can you as a PR agency do to combat these symptoms of the ‘bad pharma’ disease. Van den Bogaert gives explanations for the symptoms in different schemes. Without any background of course people question why a medicine company needs huge profits, why the marketing budgets are larger, and why drugs are so expensive.

Profits. The industry makes up 17.5% the market in Europe and are huge employers. Furthermore, the profits contribute to the GDP and the economic position of the nation. Economically explain that larger markets create greater profits which creates expectations to manufacturers, which expand investment in new drugs to pursue those profits. New investment means more focus on new medicine. This is the so called BPC theme.

Pricing. The innovation theme helps explain drug pricing. Recognize that prices are high but unavoidable. New development is needed and the enormous social value is proven by multiple sources, use these academic proofs. Make clear these prices include also failed trials.  Second, the patient orientation (PO) theme emphasizes on the benefits of health, show those numbers baby. We are more healthy than ever before! High prices don’t mean unabling but enabling patients to get access to medicine and is not profit orientated.

Budget. “9out 10 pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than R&D" an article reads. But expenditure on R&D has not declined, in fact it has risen! In addition, new diseases are more complex and target smaller groups and to get these to the right patients marketing is needed. It makes no sense anymore to compare these budgets.

Get the media’s attention! Give complete insight in what you do and what the money is used for. YOU should start to educate the public about YOUR industry and make this pill a little less hard to swallow.

Read more?

• Van Den Bogaert, S., Declercq, J., Christiaens, T., Jacobs, G., & Bracke, P. (2018). In the land of pharma: A qualitative analysis of the reputational discourse of the pharmaceutical industry. Public Relations Inquiry, 7(2), 127-147.

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Author; Wessel de Vries

Student and the University of Amsterdam
Master political communication science.
My field of interest are political organs and corporations
and how they operate in the media field.