Health Care Marketing Essay Example for Free

Health Care Marketing Essay The United States spends more than $4.2 billion annually as a resource to market in the direction of health care consumers. Advertisements consist of pharmaceuticals, alternative medicine, and in many cases, lawsuits as a result of alleged bad drugs. The two forms of marketing are direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) of medicines to treat a disease or illness, and direct advertisements reaching a more diverse populace of health care consumers requiring medication. Through the practice of print advertisements, television announcements, radio commercials, the far-reaching side effect of health care marketing is fast becoming an epidemic. My Opinion on Current Health Care Marketing Techniques While my opinion on health care is apparent, I also realize the ever-changing atmosphere and understand that with change come additional responsibilities. From first-hand accounts and voice-to-voice with family in the health care arena, I am doubtful that all possible improvements have been implemented. It is my desire to see a more established forefront to the real problems in health care. We have great potential in this country to improve the processes and services available to health care consumers. How I feel Current Marketing Techniques Are Affecting Consumers? Marketing techniques, in my opinion, often overstep the boundary of ethical behavior; more particularly regarding the use of pharmaceutical marketing techniques. I often wonder about the validity of claims made on behalf of pharmaceutical companies, providing vast amounts of information to an unrecognized audience. â€Å"A recent content analysis of 38 television commercials concluded that the emotional appeal overshadowed factual information about the drug: only 26% of commercials provided information about the causes of or risk factors for disease, and 19% suggested lifestyle changes as adjunctive treatments† Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2007. This information has aided in forming an opinion about how techniques are often over-extended to reach a more diverse population, often with disregard to how this information is perceived by the audience. Conclusion I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this course. My hopes are to expand my understanding of the processes of health care marketing, learning all the facets of techniques, capabilities, and social responsibilities. References Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2007. Washington, DC: PhRMA, 2007.

Drugs Essay -- essays research papers

Is the Government Morally Justified in Declaring Some Drugs Illegal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are all kinds of drugs. Whether or not the drug is illegal or not depends on what drug we’re talking about. It is important to look at both the bad effects and long-term effects, such as addiction, when determining legality. Certain drugs, such as prescription drugs like Ritalin, are illegal to the people who abuse them. They are designed for people who need the drug and can be dangerous if taken without seeing a doctor first. Other drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, are illegal to everyone. The government has put a block or law on these. These drug laws are supposedly for your own good. It is the type of drug and its effects that determines whether or not it should be illegal. When it comes to drugs, there are various aspects that need to be considered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse and is currently illegal. Individuals who have tried the drug describe it as a powerful experience that gave a â€Å"high† and a feeling of dominance. Because cocaine is so highly addictive, once someone starts taking it, one cannot predict the extent of drug abuse or the continuality. The ways to take cocaine include: sniffing, snorting, injecting, and smoking. Health risks are present regardless. Smoking has slightly higher health risks. It allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain much quicker, resulting in an immediate, intense high. If injected, the drug user has a risk of contracting HIV/AIDS if needles or other injection equipment is shared. Physical effects are what make this drug illegal, and so highly dissuaded. The effects include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It’s also said that you will h ave a feeling of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety (both during use and in between periods). Once addicted, it is difficult to be broken out of the habit and death is very likely a possibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High doses of cocaine, or just lengthened usage, can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine increases aggressive behavior. Alcohol mixed with cocaine compounds the danger each drug poses and causes a complex chemical interaction within your body. The human liver combines cocaine and alcohol to produce ... ...gs such as cocaine. Another problem is that, once legalized, the thrill will be gone. One of the reasons to try it and then, in most cases, continue with drugs is the thrill of getting caught or the fact that you know you’re doing something illegal. Also, drugs are so readily available today that basically if you want them, you can have them. There is not much the government can do. The government might as well legalize marijuana and make money off of it. It is going to be done illegal or legal. If it were to be legalized, the government could watch over it (no mixing of drugs). Also, since there seems to be an age limit and everything, such as alcohol and cigarettes, an age limit could be put on marijuana. As I stated above, there are many factors that are contributed to the legality of drugs. It is the government’s decision to determine which, and though some disagree, it is for the welfare of the country. This topic is high in discussion today and it’s a h ard decision to make considering all of the pros and cons. I think the way things are is fine, but for now only. A decision has to be made. You can’t allow it in certain areas and not everywhere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Multi-state E.coli Outbreak

A person having diarrhea with loose stools greater than 3 bowel movements in a day with or without abdominal cramps, who is a resident of Michigan, having onset of symptoms between the 15th of June and 15th of July and the   stool cultures yielding E.coli 157:H7. (Lautenbach, E., 2008).   (Multistate Outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 Infection, 2008)It is an infection leading to severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea. Non bloody diarrhea can also occur, or it may also be that the patient will have no symptomatic complaints. The causative organism is E.coli O157:H7 which has an incubation period of 3 to 8 days with a median of 3-4 days. (Lautenbach, E. 2008).   . In people in extremes of age groups I.e. elderly and children under 5 years of age, the infection can also lead to complications like Hemolytic uremic syndrome.AdvantagesBy including a lab test as criteria for case confirmation, the specificity of the case definition increases hence the power of the test increases and so do the chances to detect the source.DisadvantagesInvestigation: by making lab investigations like stool cultures and PFGE a criterion, people who had the symptoms but were not able to visit the doctor were not counted as having the disease, hence the sensitivity of the definition decreased.By only taking residents of Michigan into consideration, people who were visitors and might have got infected were excluded from the count.Slight alterations could be made to the case definition.Proposed Case DefinitionA person having diarrhea with loose stools greater than 3 bowel movements in a day with or without abdominal cramps. The person may be a resident or may have visited Michigan a week prior to having onset of symptoms between the 15th of June and 15th of July. A person with clinically compatible picture who is epidemiologically linked with a confirmed case of E.coli infection. The stool cultures yielding E.coli 157:H7.The lab testing requirement still has to remains, to ensure specifi city and power of the definition.Comparison between age groups:In the Michigan outbreak, it was noted that more than twice as many females were infected as were males. People in age groups of 20-39 and 40-59 were reported most frequent cases in the Michigan outbreak. Food net on the other hand reported nation wide distribution of cases almost equally in males and females, i.e. 162 to 178 respectively. They also documented that largest segmented of population infected in 1997 was in the age group of 1-9 years.This pattern shows that in the Michigan outbreak, the source most probably started with some sort of interaction between source and the adult females of age between 20-59years.  Inquiry about diseaseE.coli infection is mainly an oral-fecal transmission pathway. Hence poorly chlorinated water, unpasteurized milk are common fluid sources. Uncooked or improperly cooked beef another forms of meat are another likely source of transmission. Vegetables directly from farms or stores, which are not properly washed, like lettuce, spinach alfalfa etc are another source of infection. (Escherichia coli O157:H7, 2005).   Exposure to farm animals, or contact with infected people are also risk factors. In the United States infected children in daycare centers also a major source of spread. So questions pertaining to contact and handling of the above stated risk factors should be asked.Source of the outbreak according to the currently present evidence is alfalfa sprouts. Contaminated alfalfa seeds initially caused the outbreak and then the infection easily spread through person to person transfer. The leading hypothesis is that contaminated alfalfa sprouts or seeds of alfalfa sprouts were the initial cause of the outbreak.People who consumed these foods in the area of Michigan got infected with E.coli O157:H7 and then the infection were further transferred to other people with whom they came into contact.REFFERENCES:Escherichia coli O157:H7 (2005). Division of Bacteria l and Mycotic Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_t.htmLautenbach, E. (2008).   Outbreak Investigation: Discussion Group. Pennsylvania department of health. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/lib/health/Outbreak_Investigation.ppt.Multistate Outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 Infection, (2008). Foodsafety.net  Retrieved March 6, 2008, from http://www.foodsafetynet.info/NEHA/EpiSlides/Ecoli_122803.ppt.   

Medical Marijuana Should Not Be Banned - 1439 Words

How could a federally illegal drug be given to the citizens by physicians of the United States to potentially be grown in their homes? Medical marijuana is a common phenomenon that is acceptable in more than half of the 50 states. Individuals of all ages are affected by the new regulations of the once illegal substance and exposed more than one might think. Marijuana is introduced through schools by peers as a parent struggles to ensure their child will maintain an effective future. This particular drug is dangerous and can have intense effects to the body. To reduce the exposure of the harmful effects of marijuana, physicians should not be given the power to distribute the substance. Medical marijuana should not be given as a form of medicine in the United States because of the drugs negative effects to the body, the central nervous system, and one’s physical health. Also research has proven that the drug is known to be abused by individuals around the country who have been g iven access. Medical marijuana has many negative effects to different parts of the human body. Although the drug is shown to reduce pain, other side effects exist as the drug targets essential parts of the body. Addiction specialist and author of the New York Times Newspaper article Rebecca Drayer explains, â€Å"Recent research shows that marijuana has detrimental effects on the brain, lungs, heart and fertility†¦false impression that there is a medical need for marijuana confuses and misleads a poorlyShow MoreRelatedThe United State War On Drugs1005 Words   |  5 Pagesunder the order of President Richard Nixon, and it was one of the worst decisions he ever made. It has been nothing but a waste of government funding, time, and manpower that can only be described as a dismal failure and should be repealed or at the very least medical marijuana should be made legal. The essay â€Å"Let’s Be Blunt† was written to show the flaws and failure of the war on drugs. I nits intro the essay takes a very pro drug legalization stance Caden states†Ã¢â‚¬ . Early on the author comparesRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana1543 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization of Marijuana How many people annually do you think die from smoking marijuana? Many people do not believe that the number is zero. Lots of people think that marijuana is harmful and think that it causes people to commit crimes and make bad decisions. The legalization of marijuana would help the government make money by taxing this drug, help sick people with medical use, and lower crime rates. 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This essay will put forth the reasons why it can stimulate our economy and society while disproving the arguments of why it is bad. 77 years ago, marijuana became prohibited inRead MoreThe Addiction to Marijuana1533 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, marijuana is being categorized as a Class A Drug, but in reality marijuana has been known to help cure and fight many sicknesses and diseases. Marijuana is being criticized by people that never studied the drug or even know about the medicinal benefits from the drug. Over the years, marijuana has been called a gateway drug to harder narcotics, but this isn’t the case. Marijuana has many medicinal benefits that the media and government avoid releasing to the society but its