SUMMARY

Greg Crister, in his new book, Generation Rx: How Prescription Drugs Are Altering American Lives, Minds, and Bodies, puts forth the notion that "big pharma" has created a nation of pharmaceutical tribes, each with its own unique beliefs, taboos, and brand loyalties. The most interesting feature of the book, however, may be the recounting of the history of direct-to-consumer (DTC) in the U.S. peppered with first-hand accounts of people who played critical roles in the making DTC advertising possible.

This article reviews this book and focuses on the roles of several key pharmaceutical marketing pioneers as described in the book.

Topics covered include:

• DTC Unbound
• AMA Weighs In
• Doctors are Targets Too
• New Jersey Country Club CEOs
• Crister's Criticisms