Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

What’s The Connection! Marketing And Medicine!

Posted by Anonymous on 7/15/2004 at 2:02 PM ET 100 Points

If ‘Medicine’ means “the treatment methods to cure dis-eases of man” and ‘Marketing’ relates to “how good products, priced, promoted and distributed well, results in happier clients, businesspeople and society”, then is the rebounding of serious diseases and mental and emotional turbulences existing in various parts of the world, an expression of a breakdown in the relationship between the two disciplines ‘marketing’ and ‘medicine’? Or does the failing lie in the egotistic stands of the physicians of our medical world. Why is there the differentiation between Allopathic (termed western or conventional) medicine and Alternative (osteopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda) medicine. Why is it that a homeopath cannot sit together with an osteopath, an ayurvedic or an allopath to serve the same patient? Shouldn’t there be just physicians and patients, and that the job of all physicians (irrespective of the medicine type they practice) is to treat and cure all patients? Even if only 50% of the 6 billion people out there spends $10 per month on medicine, the annual turnover is $120 x 3billion = $360billion. Marketers are very linked with the ‘Medicine and Health market.’

So, what’s the right connection/s, which should exist between ‘Marketing’ and ‘Medicine?’ I’ve done my research on this theme, but I’m very curious to hear your reactions and views on it.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 7/15/2004 at 2:22 PM Member
    Well, first of all I have to say your perception and knowledge of medicine and the differnt philosophies of study is severly distorted.

    There is a VERY distinct difference between the different methodologies. In addition, not every physician is hyper-egotistical.

    I will come back later to elaborate.
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 7/15/2004 at 4:13 PM Accepted
    One of the main challenges to the question (IMHO) is that you are looking for a macro (worldwide) answer for a field that has huge differences between countries/regions.

    I think you may be better off breaking it into 3 categories and looking at each of these segments:

    Industrialized Capitalistic - like the US, where the market is allowed to set prices and what is done. Lots of issues related to not serving the uninsured because of the cost of the service, and lots of money spent inefficiently on the insured. These markets are the closest to being open and allowing the 4-Ps to fluctuate to find the right market. But none are totally open, as all have some sort of limit that keeps the medical market from acting in a true capitalistic format.

    Industrialized Socialistic - like much of northern Europe and Canada, where you have universal health coverage. Anyone can get any service, but there is often huge waits and not great customer service. Not as much monetary incentive to improve the product, or even try to adjust the 4-Ps.

    Developing - characterized by limited resources (both money to buy service and skilled medicine providers to provide service). Some incentive to provide non-standard services (your alternative medicines) to meet the needs of the population.

    None of these are true capitalistic markets, as all have limits of one sort or the other on the market for medicines, on some area or the other of the 4-Ps, etc.
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 7/15/2004 at 5:00 PM Member
    Kwinters is covering everything I wanted to say.

    I worked with MD AND DO surgeons for over a decade. In addtion, I'm an MCAT away from med school (my acedemic pursuit) ,so I have extensive, first hand knowledge of the field, as does Kevin.

    Kevin's last post spells it out pretty clear. That's the way it is, like it or not.

    Until homepathic and alternative "medicine" move out of the back of bong shops and start getting some real research, training, etc into their practice, it will remain hocus-pocus.

    So what is the relationship between this and marketing? Not much. I think common sense and a desire for appropriate treatment drive people to MDs and DOs versus witch doctors and herbal magicians.

    I hope this helps!
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 7/15/2004 at 7:25 PM Accepted
    I would also like to comment on your statement regarding:

    " Today there are few, or negligible number of institutions who practice an integration of the various medical systems. In such a scenario, the importance will lie on the patient (consumer) satisfaction and not on the treatment or medical philosophies behind a medical system."

    As Kevin asked..."What planet are you from?"!!!

    Even here, in the plains of the Cowboys and Indians (Oklahoma) we have some of the World's leading medical facilities...and guess what...There are MDs. DOs, nutritionists/herbalists, chiropracters, manipulative therapists, accupuncture, you name it! All in the same building! Imagine that! We call them hospitals.

    Technically, MDs and DO's CANNOT LEGALLY prescribe or advise a person to take part in a non-conventional form of "healing". Now I have heard many a doctor say "Sure, if the FDA approved it, you can buy it over the counter, you take it as directed, and if it seems to help you, why not give it shot...BUT, I cannot recommend it. I can only say ' if it works for you and is legal, you are free to choose to use it". That was the boilerplate response we used for many many years.

    The reasons have already been described above (scientific research, trials, studies, laws, testing, etc).

    Something tells me you thought you knew more than you really do about medicine and jumped into a pit of "MD snakes" with your "homeopathic anti-venom"...and it isn't working.

    I don't mean to be rude. But at the same time, I am not going to add 1000 extra words to my posts in order to sugarcoat it for you. You need to read more....and make sure you have a valid argument before you try to discredit over a thousand years of medicine by comparing it to "alternative therapies"...and jumping to the conclusion that the world would be a better place if the egotistical MDs and DOs would prescribe a little cohosh every once in awhile.


    I would be more than happy to help you in your studies. Just send me an email with "MarketingProfs" in the subject.
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