About the Author

Richard Cochrane is trained in chemistry and metallurgy but is far more interested and practiced as a political and fund raising consultant, writer and amateur historian. He grew up in a Navy family and with his two younger brothers carried on its 500+ year tradition of naval service to Great Britain and the USA then enjoyed a career with one of the largest advertising and public relations agencies working with numerous Fortune 500 companies and many of America's premier educational institutions. He maintains friendships and acquaintanceships around the world. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

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Hypocratic hypocrisy among the Caduceus crowd

February 26th, 2008 • Richard Cochrane

confessions of a political hitmanDrug giant Pfizer Inc. has scrapped its ad campaign for anti-cholesterol pill Lipitor featuring Robert Jarvik, the inventor of an artificial heart, as Congress probes whether the commercials are misleading. The rubs are that Jarvik appears to give medical advice but he is not a licensed medical doctor, and Pfizer used body doubles for Jarvik.

Otherwise there are ethical and even moral questions about the financial and medical impacts of drug companies directly marketing to patients. For decades drug companies marketed through “drug detailers” who were often seen lurking at the back doors of medical buildings hectored doctors to prescribe their wares. Celebrity marketing directly to patients via television, radio and print ads has proved effective by actually creating a demand for those drugs and a willingness of many physicians to comply. Studies show that created demand has become an important ingredients in sharply rising drugs costs which have become a big contributor to skyrocketing healthcare costs.

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