Abstract

This paper analyses the major ethical issues raised by direct-to-consumer communications (DTCC) of pharmaceutical drugs, with a view to proposing ethical standards of practice for the marketing profession. A case-based analysis of four types of marketing practices is used to highlight the main ethical dimensions of DTCC. The ethical implications are then unpacked using the specific lenses of prominent ethical theories, so that non-experts in ethics—i.e., marketing professionals—can understand the implications for their daily practice. To synthesize the essential ethical imperatives related to DTCC, an oath for marketing professionals is offered as a guide to ethical conduct.

摘要

本文分析了药物直接面向消费者的沟通 (DTCC) 引发的主要伦理问题，以期为营销行业提出实践伦理标准。对四种营销实践的基于案例的分析用于突出 DTCC 的主要道德维度。然后使用著名伦理理论的特定镜头解开伦理含义，以便非伦理专家（即营销专业人士）能够理解其日常实践的含义。为了综合与 DTCC 相关的基本道德要求，提供营销专业人士的誓言作为道德行为指南。