Last month GlaxoSmithKline announced that it would stop paying doctors to promote its products and stop providing compensation to sales representatives based on the number of prescriptions doctors write. The change is expected to be complete globally by 2016. For those unfamiliar with the company, GlaxoSmithKline is the sixth largest global drug maker, and produces many popular prescription medications such as Advair for asthma, and Avandia for diabetes. Its business practices have been criticized for years now, culminating in the company paying $3 billion in fines for marketing drugs for unapproved uses.

The disdain towards GlaxoSmithKline’s previous marketing strategies seemed instinctive and obvious to me at first, but it was difficult to express why exactly they felt unethical. After all, most of the commercial products I can think of – from skincare and cosmetics to athletic equipment – have people promoting the products, and employees at popular retail stores like Nordstrom are paid commissions for sales. GlaxoSmithKline used standard marketing strategies that are well accepted in most other industries, so why is the same tactic so discomfiting in this context?

For me, the marketing tactics feel unethical because of the lack of involvement and choice that is given to the consumer. When purchasing other consumer goods we are the audience, and we are the ones who make the decision to purchase a good or service. We at least get the perception of choice –to listen or not to listen, to buy or not to buy. That isn’t the case for prescription drugs – the responsibility and power to decide goes to the doctors who take care of us – so any incentive that could conflict with them acting in our best interest is upsetting because we cannot have any direct control over the situation, and yet we are completely vulnerable to the consequences.

I think GlaxoSmithKline is making a great step towards being a more ethically conscious company. Hopefully, the other major pharmaceuticals companies will follow suit.

This is a great debate to watch if you want to learn more about GSK’s marketing changes:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec13/pharma_12-17.html