BACKGROUND Despite regulatory restrictions, off-label marketing of pharmaceutical products has been common in the US. However, the scope of off-label marketing remains poorly characterized. We developed a typology for the strategies and practices that constitute off-label marketing. METHODS AND FINDINGS We obtained unsealed whistleblower complaints against pharmaceutical companies filed in US...

In the context of the wars between the upstart Internet retailers and the existing bricks-and-mortar retailers, many e-marketing techniques were invented. This article develops a single unifying and theoretically based taxonomy for e-marketing techniques: the e-marketing mix. Drawing on the paradigms of exchange, relationships, and digital interactions in networks, 11 e-marketing functions are ...

tives have incentives to “oversell” their products. But they also benefit by providing truthful information about their drugs’ benefits. In analyzing the effects of sales and promotion efforts, it is important to consider both the positive and negative aspects of drug marketing. There is a substantial literature in medical journals examining the marketing and promotional efforts of pharmaceutic...

Pharmaceutical companies have been forced to change their approach to selling over-the-counter (OTC) medicines because of the increased pressure on sales margins. The development of Web 2.0, Web 3.0, and social media technologies allow low-cost online marketing, including e-commerce. An organisational adaptation has to cope with the changes in the OTC drug market is required because of the wide...

BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical marketing is undergoing a major shift in the United States, in part due to new transparency regulations under the healthcare reform act. Changes in pharmaceutical marketing practices include a possible shift from more traditional forms of direct-to-consumer advertising towards emerging use of Internet-based DTCA ("eDTCA") given the growing importance of digital health ...

For nearly 25 years, Iranian Pharmaceutical market has been a closed and centrally controlled one. Although some initiatives have been introduced during the last decade, yet the system is characterized as a closed one and lacks real competition. The current situation of drug in Iran may be characterized as: Intense price control by the Drug Authority i.e. Ministry of Health Ban of d...

This research paper identifies the functions and processes of branding in relation to the pharmaceutical industry with a comparison to the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry; using previous research demonstrating elements of branding being introduced in greater depth to the pharmaceutical industry; with the goal of adding measurability to ensure successful transition. The study consider...

This paper examines the impact and interrelationships between direct-to-consumer (DTC) and physician-oriented marketing on the sales composition of the prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) versions of antiulcer and heartburn medications. To understand better the implications for competition of the 1997 Food and Drug Administration’s policies regarding DTC marketing, as well as recent Rx...

BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from marketing medications for off-label uses in both the United States and Canada. In the United States, there have been several recent multi-billion dollar settlements with pharmaceutical companies based, partly, on off-label promotion. Health Canada has not publicized any investigations into, or prosecutions of, pharmaceutical companies for ...