(Dear English readers, please scroll down for English translation)
前几天，写了一篇短文，其中一个标签（tag)是药剂及pharmacy。 不到半小时， 就有个留言。开来看时，原来是个网上药剂公司的，也留下了它的link。当然，这是它们的推销手段。蛮不满的, 马上把pharmacy的标签除去。
Ed说，很可能是他们编写了一个电脑程序来自动搜尋，自动留言。我想也是。
做了这几年药剂师， 也看过了种种的推销手段。例如，新药一出，drug reps (representative) 就常常到访诊所及药剂行。 刚开始时，还算是给医生及药剂师多些新资料。 来得多，又送笔啊， 纸的， 等等的文具。这些文具上都有他们产品的商标。
在一些国家，还可以上电视或电台打广告。（在澳洲不能， 只有治伤风感冒等小病的药才可，其他不行。）这种潜移默化地影响，就是他们的推销手段。还有更多的在这也不便多谈。
加上，自一些网上药剂公司成立后，就更糟糕。我相信很多人都有收过他们的电邮，如便宜地卖 “伟哥”之类的药物吧。这些药物，如用得不适当，都有很多的副作用。
可悲医药已变得这样商业化。我身为药剂师，不否定药物的效果。可是，制药公司推销得越多， 病人就更依赖药物 （下次会谈谈这种心理）。这种恶性循环要不得。也没办法，他们有雄厚的资金。
没想到， 连我这个小小的部落也不放过。果然是，无孔不入的制药公司。哀哉！
A few days ago, I posted a short article to this blog and one of the tags of the post was pharmacy. Half an hour later, I received a comment from an internet drug company. This company also left a link for others to click on. Well, obviously, this is one of their sales strategies. It is incredibly speedy and efficient ! I was quite unhappy and deleted the pharmacy tag immediately.
Ed said, it is possible that they developed a computer software to automatically search for any articles with pharmacy tag and automatically leave comments. I think so too.
I have been working in the pharmacy industry for a few years now and have seen plenty of their sales strategies. For example, if there is a new drug releases, drug representatives will start visiting the clinics and pharmacies. At the beginning, it is giving more information on the new drug to the doctors and pharmacists. However, they tend to come very frequently and giving out many pens and notebooks etc for free. Those stationary all have their logo and the name of the new drug on them. This is part of their sales strategies.
In some countries, they even can advertise drugs on TV and radio stations. This is not allowed in Australia, except drugs that treat minor illness eg colds. All these “efforts” inevitably and slowly changing patients’ perceptions on the drugs.
In addition to that, online pharmacies are also very actively “promoting” themselves by sending out millions of emails, selling drugs like Viagra with an extremely low price. These kinds of drugs if not used properly and with cautions, they have many side effects.
It is so unfortunate to see the health industry is becoming more and more commercial. As a pharmacist, I am not denied the benefits of drugs. However, the more the pharmaceutical companies advertise, the more the patients will rely on drugs and not taking responsibility for their own health ( I may share some thoughts on this other time) . This is a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, there is nothing much we can do now because they have multi-billions dollars of capital to do these.
What surprised me was, they could find my small little blog here and even “cared” enough to leave a comment here !
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