• What are some current events in your industry? What is the impact of these events on the industry?

I read an article that talked about pharmaceuticals in water sources.  The article talks about how water testing was done and how there were traces of 14 different types of pharmaceuticals and “personal care” products.  After the water was tested it was found that the product were not in large enough quantities to harm anyone drinking the water.  Drugs such as ibuprofen and Tylenol were among the detected.  It was said that in order for these drugs to be considered at a harmful level that a person would have to drink “tens of thousands” of glasses of water.  The test was done because and Associated Press investigator found trace levels of pharmaceuticals in drinking water.

            While at first this does not seem to relate to marketing it is interesting to look at it from a marketing standpoint.  This article is acting as PR for the pharmaceutical company.  It is currently acting as good PR because nothing that awful was found in the water.  It could have just as easily acted as bad PR.  If the testing of the water had produced bad results and concluded that there were high levels of pharmaceuticals in the water, this would not have been good for the pharmaceutical companies.  Many questions would be arising and the companies would have a problem on their hands.  People would want to know what pharmaceutical companies were doing with their drugs that so much of it was ending up in the water source.  A larger scale investigation would have occurred and this would most likely have not been good for companies.  For now the pharmaceutical companies are alright and they have been given some good PR.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP9eaaad91836043d39a989bdf6b060dec.html?KEYWORDS=pharmaceutical

Rachael Bieck