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netizen No5. 14 nov 95
Nsg : alt.privacy, fr.network.internet, fr.misc.droit
Based on a story published by E-med News
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Smells bad for your medical privacy? Hmm? Seems to. In the 24 october issue of E.med news, a UK newletter, people can have an idea of how drug companies have taken steps to watch over their clients -- oups, "patients", sorry.
The article says that "Leading advertising and publicity agencies are encouraging pharmaceutical companies to grasp at the Internet as an opportunity to communicate directly with patients. Two such companies, Edelman and Hill & Knowlton, have already invested in Net marketing techniques, describing it as crucial for the industry, reports Pharmaceutical Marketing (September 1995, p.32)."
It's not really a surprise : marketing needs to "grasp" at every potential customer -- "Gil Bashe, head of Hill & Knowlton's US office, points out that patients are already using the Internet to a very large extent, and drug companies that do not follow them may find themselves bypassed".
Great. But who will choose for you or them for being incorporated in a data bank, classified as a "potential customer"? and receive junk-email? Smells bad since the other ad agency, Edelman -- surely not the only one -- "has developed a search program to constantly scan the whole Internet for such adverse messages to enable the manufacturer to detect them quickly and provide balancing information", says the article, adding that "almost every official patient interest association already runs a WWW page, newsgroup or mailing list."
The best is to come : "In particular, many people suffering from chronic illnesses are heavy Net users. According to Hill & Knowlton's figures, 24% of cancer patients and 32% of AIDS sufferers in the USA are on-line."
"Figures"? Or phoney marketing previsions? How the hell did they succeed to get this estimation??
OK, drug companies would improve their products and services' management watching over all these disease-related web sites and newsgroups (which are, in a sence, open to the public, *every* public). But would they exploit commercially your desease-related experience without informing you? Would they keep your name clear in their databank?
After all, for free, drug firms could scan their product awareness, because, the article says, "These patient groups regularly exchange information on new medications, reports of side effects, and dosages. Such postings are not moderated and often include highly critical remarks on medicines - including reports of very rare adverse reactions. This could easily harm the manufacturers, since the messages may be read by thousands of people."
"Harm the manufacturers"? Chacun son tour. 'Bet it will.