The Jarvik Affair

Posted on February 14, 2008 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

“What’s up with That?”

By Patrick C. Cox, Jr 

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How many times have you viewed the Lipitor® “educational” commercial featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik?  

If you are like me, probably often since Pfizer appears set on getting their money’s worth from the production. The spot pops up everywhere it seems. Pretty impressive with the rowing, the lake, and natural beauty along with a heartfelt pitch from Jarvik on what a difference Lipitor® has made in his life.

He shares his thoughts that Lipitor® is one of the most researched drugs and he’s glad that he takes it as a doctor, and a dad. 

Well, the commercial may have run one time too many.  Questions have been raised by consumers and now congressional figures as to Jarvik’s credibility and his Lipitor® endorsement.

For example, he never pursued a medical internship, is not licensed to practice and can’t legally prescribe.   

Of course, Jarvik has been recently defending his status as a scientist and his role in simply educating the public in the ad.  But, his revelation as a past Lipitor® patient, with implied personal endorsement, could certainly make patients feel they’re missing something if they too aren’t taking the compound. 

heart

Assessment 

Of course, we all know the real reason behind the ad.  Pfizer has invested millions hoping Jarvis’s personal endorsement will get patients saying to themselves, “Hey, Dr. Jarvik prescribes it for his patients and takes it himself, how come I’m not on it?”  

The next step they’re hoping for is for them to ask their “prescribing” physician the same thing.  

Assessment

Well that’s the problem, isn’t it? Lipitor® is a good drug, but it’s not for everyone.  And, only doctors should know what’s best for their own patient’s; right?  

So, should drug companies be held accountable for these ads and/or provide more disclosure to the public?  

In other word’s, should Pfizer have told us that Jarvik isn’t really a doctor, can’t and isn’t prescribing anything to anyone – and wait a second – did he really even take Lipitor® at all?  

Guess only his “prescribing” physician would know, for sure! 

Conclusion

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5 Responses

  1. Executive-Post, on March 10, 2008 at 11:26 PM said:

    D2C Ads

    Did you know that according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, prescription drug ads and direct to consumer [D2C] ads prompted nearly one-third of Americans to ask their doctors about an advertised medicine, and 82 percent of those who ask say their physicians recommended a prescription?

    The findings in a national survey by USA Today and the Harvard School of Public Health come as drug advertising hit a record $4.8 billion in 2006, up from $2.6 billion in 2002.

    Among people who requested a drug, 44 percent said physicians gave the one they asked about, while slightly more than half said doctors prescribed a different drug. The percentage of people getting a drug after asking about an ad shows an increase from 2005, when Kaiser found that 75 percent said the doctors recommended some type of drug.

    -Ann

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  2. Executive-Post, on April 20, 2008 at 3:26 PM said:

    Jarvik Update
    An “Executive-Post” Scoop

    Did you know that Pfizer recently announced that it would discontinue its signature ads for Lipitor™, the best-selling drug in the world? This was quite a quick fall from grace for Dr. Robert Jarvik whose medical credentials had been assailed here, and elsewhere.

    And recently, the Energy and Commerce Department [ECD] chaired by US Representative John Dingell (D-Michigan), opined that Jarvik was unqualified to give medical advice since he is not a licensed physician.

    While he did earn a medical degree, Jarvik acknowledged that he never completed the licensure and certification tests to practice medicine in any state or venue.

    Now, what does this say about the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the medical community? Or, shall we adopt the posture: “catch me if you can?”

    -The Editors

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  3. Christine, on August 8, 2011 at 11:41 AM said:

    OTC Lipitor?

    PAT – Pfizer is hoping to milk even more dollars from its blockbuster Lipitor by introducing an over-the-counter version of the cholesterol-lowering drug, the WSJ reports.

    http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/08/03/reader-consult-would-the-fda-swallow-an-otc-lipitor/

    Christine

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  4. Jim, on August 16, 2011 at 7:49 PM said:

    OTC Lipitor?

    Mr. Cox – Pfizer is hoping to milk even more dollars from its blockbuster Lipitor by introducing an over-the-counter version of the cholesterol-lowering drug, the WSJ reports.

    http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/08/03/reader-consult-would-the-fda-swallow-an-otc-lipitor/

    Jim

    Like

  5. Dr. Williams, on August 9, 2014 at 12:05 PM said:

    Pfizer

    The company confronts surge of lawsuits over Lipitor.

    http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20140808&id=17844645

    Dr. Williams

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