ABSTRACT

The pharmaceutical industry is a critical portion of the domestic economy. In addition to its economic impact, the activities in the pharmaceutical industry have many societal implications. Perhaps the most widely scrutinized activity in the pharmaceutical industry is the industry's promotional strategies. This research is designed to evaluate issues that relate to the promotional strategies of the pharmaceutical industry. Specifically, this study evaluates the sales representative's perceptions of three critical aspects of pharmaceutical drug promotions: direct-to-consumer advertising, the ethics of salesperson promotional activities, and the influence that these promotional activities have on the physician's prescriptive behaviors. The results indicate that the sales representatives have rather pronounced perceptions of the legitimacy, effectiveness, and efficiency of the alternative promotional strategies found in the pharmaceutical industry.