Press Release Essay Example for Free

Press Release Essay LOUISIANA- Amnesty International has called for the release of Louisiana inmate and Angola 3 member Albert Woodfox after a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday (Nov. 20) in Woodfox’s favor. The major human right organization, stated in a press release Friday (Nov. 21) that Woodfox spending over forty years in solitary confinement, â€Å"raises serious human rights concerns.† The decision from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge’s ruling that overturned Woodfox’s conviction of murder in 1972 of an Angola guard. According to court documents, a three judge panel all agreed that Woodfox did not receive a fair trial in 1998 when his case was tried a second time do to racial discrimination in the selection of a grand jury foreperson. â€Å"It is time for Albert Woodfox to walk free, and it is unconscionable to hold him for a single day longer, â€Å"said Jasmine Heiss, Senior Campaiger at Amnesty International USA. â€Å"The Fifth Circuit’s ruling in Albert’s favor only adds more weight to our call on the State of Louisiana to stop standing in the way of Albert Woodfox’s freedom.† According to Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, his office plans to put up a fight to prevent Woodfox from being released. Caldwell statement below: While we are still reviewing the 5th Circuits opinion to determine the appropriate action, the important thing to note is that this decision in no way exonerates Albert Woodfox in the brutal 1972 murder of Angola  Correctional Officer Brent Miller. The Appeals Court decision focused on a technicality with the grand jury selection process from as far back as 30 years ago. No court decision, including this one, has ever made a finding which disputes the fact that Albert Woodfox murdered Brent Miller at Angola in 1972. Those facts will always remain true. We respectfully disagree with the Courts ruling, and remain committed to seeing that the trial jurys judgment finding Albert Woodfox guilty of murdering Officer Brent Miller is upheld. Woodfox 67, is the only member of the Angola 3 still behind bars. Angola 3 was derive from a group of supporters who believed that Woodfox and two other prisoners were wrongfully convicted of prison murders for the sole purpose of silencing their activism. The International Coalition to Free the Angola Three is convinced that the men were targeted due to their formation of the Black Panther Party chapter inside the prison. References www.amnestyinternational.com Retrieved on November 22, 2014 www.nola.com Retrieved on November 22,2014

Over The Counter Drugs And Paracetamol Advertising Economics Essay

Over The Counter Drugs And Paracetamol Advertising Economics Essay Over the past few decades advertising has been an important marketing strategy. Advertising is always subjected to change because taste of the people, demographic, cultural and socio economic factors change always. Consumers changing response to advertising is essential to develop more effective and efficient marketing strategies. Chanjin (2000) developed a varying-parameter advertising model specifying advertising parameters as a function of advertising strategies and the market environments to explain the varying nature of the advertising responses. The model is applied to New York City fluid milk market and he concludes his findings that advertising strategies and market environment play important role in determining advertising effectiveness and he further concludes that demographic factors are more important than economic factors(Chanjin, 2000). Companies change their advertising strategies time to time to attract customers as well as keep the existing customers with their produ cts. But in some developed countries they have their own self regulatory system in order to stave off the government intervention. Harker(2003) states in his published article that sometimes advertising has its own self regulatory system despite claims of social and economic benefits. In general, when dealing with unacceptable advertising, considerable advertisers in developed countries use their own self regulatory mechanism since they consider the intervention of the government or regulatory bodies for their product marketing are not good for their brand image. The recent breakdown of one of the worlds longest established advertising self-regulatory programmes in Australia has reopened the 20 years old debate concern with enhancing understanding of such regulatory system(Harker, 2003).Though he states like that , even in some developed countries the advertising misleading consumers significantly sometimes very badly. To face to the race of businesses, companies use varies marketing strategies to attract and retain consumers with their products. Advertising is one of the most efficient marketing tools that most widely used in the world. The issue is it has become a main tool or a media where consumers are misled for products or services. Expressing the finding of the result of his research paper, Howard (2005) says over half of the sample viewed most or all mail and telephone advertising as misleading, and that 38 percent of the respondents regarded most or all television advertising as misleading. Also, findings for the Age groups indicate that two out of three respondents regarded most or all advertising directed at children as seriously misleading (Howard, 2005). Advertising has become a powerful emotional promotion method and now there is a trend of sending advertisements via mobile phones even without prior permission. But Melody(2004) points out those consumers generally have negative attitu des toward mobile advertising unless they have specifically consented to it(Melody, 2004). Generally in most countries attitudes toward the quality and information containing in advertisements are not in a good scale. Richard (1993) explains in his paper that a comprehensive model of attitudes toward advertising includes three personal utility factors (product information, social image information, and hedonic amusement) and four socioeconomic factors (good for economy, fostering materialism, corrupting values and falsity/no-sense). He tested these seven factor model on two independent samples and found most respondents exhibited conflict between an appreciation of the personal uses and economic value of advertising and an apprehension of cultural degradation(Richard, 1993). False information in advertisements significantly decreases the credibility of the product. That is why some standard organizations validate their advertisements before broadcast or expose to general public. Ste phen (1998) conducted a study to investigate whether consumers who are exposed to an advertisement containing a deceptive environmental claim have significantly different attitudes about the advertisements than those consumers exposed to a similar non-deceptive advertisement. He concludes the study mentioning that higher levels of perceived deception were associated with lower level of perceived corporate credibility, less favourable attitudes towards the advertisement, less favourable attitudes toward the advertised brand, and decreased purchase intention toward the product in the advertisement(Stephen, 1998). Marketing Pharmaceuticals-Increasing trend Marketing pharmaceuticals are very dynamic and innovative subject especially in this current business arena. Pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable businesses in all over the world. Kesic(2008) states the pharmaceutical market has been changed significantly especially in last decade with dramatic improvement. There are many factors directly affected for these new trend and developments particularly concentrated globalization, huge competitiveness and many more factors influence directly or indirectly for new challengers for pharmaceutical companies. Not only in pharmaceutical industry, but also in most of the business entities, profit maximization is a core objective. However, Chandra(1999) points out that pharmaceutical product companies are completely different from other companies since their product directly deal with human health not like most other companies in the business world. Reinhardt(2004) highlights that it is not clear that the current allocation of the pharmaceutical industrys revenue dollars to marketing and research development is efficient for societys point of view(Reinhardt, 2004). Kesic(2008) concludes in his paper that research and development(RD), mutually with other marketing and profit earning activities are two main operative and prioritized strategies of the global pharmaceutical industry. Having analysed these figures he has found that the biggest, inventive world pharmaceutical companies invest, on average, approximately 16% of their sales into RD and even more, about 26% or more into marketing and sales activities(Kesic, 2009). Drug companies really spend ample amount of money for marketing especially for direct-to-consumer advertising. Lisa(2008) says according to the IMS health report in 2006 in America, drug companies have spent nearly 5 billion on direct advertisements to consumers, and 80 percent increase over what they were spending in 2002(Lisa, 2008).Likewise Chiu(2005) explains that according to the Nationa l Institute for Health Care Management, U.S consumers spent $154.5 billion on prescription drugs in 2001.This amount to 10% of total health spending, which account for 14.9 % of the U.S GDP as of 2002.In a publication Parker(2003) states that there is a little doubt that the pharmaceutical industry is a major force in todays economy as measured by both over-the-counter(OCT) and prescription drug sales and further more he says that it seems clear that there have been rather dramatic increases in advertising expenditures by pharmaceutical companies in the past few years. It also seems clear that these expenditures have coincided with significant increases in sales of both OTC drugs and prescription drugs(Parker, 2003). Promoting drugs to consumers directly has become a new trend in all over the world and many pharmaceutical companies have experienced it as a very effective way to market their products. Wilkes et al(2000) points out that direct to consumer drug(DTC) marketing makes some kind relationship of patients, doctors as well as with pharmaceutical organizations. He further points out that drug companies have increased their budget for advertisements and at the same time the number of drugs advertised also increased. Wilkes et al (2000) further state that several news sources had suggested that drug manufactures earnings have directly benefited from this new promotional strategy(Michael, 2000). According to Moynihan et al(2002)drug companies earn lot of money from healthy people and he interprets it as disease mongering. Director of research and policy at the National Institute for Health Care Management, Findlay(2000) concludes that Advertising works and pharmaceutical companies have success fully promoted their product to doctors for decades. They are now bringing that marketing survey to the consumer market place. The question is whether -over time-the benefits of raising consumers awareness of specific drugs and the conditions the medicines treat will outweigh the danger that consumers will bring to demand and use some medicines inappropriately(Findlay, 2000). Over-The-Counter Drugs and Paracetamol Advertising Over-the-counter drugs can be purchased any amount without a prescription anywhere in the world. But some researchers have pointed out having some sort of mechanism for issuing these drugs to consumers may reduce misuses. Trends towards greater availability are paralleled by increase in its use for both non-fatal overdoses and suicide. Gunnel(1997) says in France mobidity and mortality was considerable less due to the regulatory action taken to reduce the quantity of paracetamol in a single purchase. Although non conclusive, these data add to a body of evidence which suggest that restrictions in the quantity of paracetamol available as a single purchase in other countries can reduce suicide and liver failure related to paracetamol(D Gunnell, 1997).Most of these over-the-counter drugs are advertised frequently in mass media to get and keep attention of consumers on those products. Ashish(1999) in his research paper states that manufactures may attempt to familiarize consumers with bra nd names in hopes that the consumer will purchase product. The consumer may think that he has heard of this product and assume that it is somehow better than competitive product(Ashish, 1999).In his research paper Hawton(2004) clearly states that suicides and hospital admissions due to paracetamol poisoning reduced after change in legislation which is limiting the size of the available pack of the paracetamol for consumers and in his study he concludes that legislation reducing pack size of analgesics in the United Kingdom has been beneficial and further reduction in pack size could prevent more deaths(Hawton, 2004). Over the counter drug usage among children is very common. Allotey(2004) mentions in his recently published paper Research on the medication of preschool-aged children has suggested that the use of OTC medication is substantial. Kogan et al for instant, found that 54% of three year olds in the United States has been given OTC medications in the 30days preceding the study. In a common survey in New York, 22% of children have taken OTC medication in the preceding 3 day period. Studies in United Kingdom also indicated high rate of OTC medication use among children, ie,28% during a 2-week period and 66% during a 4-week period(Allotey, 2004). Wazaify(2005) emphasizes that increasing availability of non prescription medicines may encourage patients to believe that there is a drug treatment for every ailment. Furthermore, he explains the use of such products may delay/mask the diagnosis of serious illness, with increased risks of interactions and adverse reactions and of self treatment being undertaken when medical aid should have been sought. There is also the potential for misuse and abuse of such products(Wazaify, 2005). According to the Sri Lankan context there are many proprietary products under one generic product. Senarathna(2008) in her thesis of master of philosophy points out that there are around forty registered product of paracetamol in Sri Lanka(Senarathna, 2008).Weerasuriya(1993) points out there were 63 registered paracetamol products in the country in 1993 and paracetamol was the commonest drug registered in the OTC category(Weerasuriya, 1993). Ethics of Advertising OTC drugs It is clear there is an increasing trend of usage for OTC drugs in all over the world. Wazaify(2005) states that in recent years there have been an increasing trend in self-medication with non prescription drugs available in pharmacies and retail outlets and in parallel, more products have been deregulated for purchase without a prescription(Wazaify, 2005). At the same time Solhaug(2006) concludes in his recent abstract publication that only half of the information presented in drug advertisements was correct and clinically relevant and relatively few statements were fault, but a considerable proportion of statements gave an excessively positive picture of the product; hence, in general, this kind of information has no value as a source of information(Solhaug, 2006).Among the publications those point out that drug advertisements are not up to the standard especially OTC drug, Ashish(1999)states in his publication that in reality, it has been observed that pharmaceutical product adver tisers often promote their products to achieve their own goals at the potential risk of having an adverse effect on the consumers health and this type of advertising is most often seen in OTC drug product advertisements(Ashish, 1999). Wazaify(2005) points out that the deregulation process has been championed by the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy profession and government health policy makers and is supported by the view that patients wish to have a greater role in their treatment choices. Almost all countries in the world have not allowed to pharmaceutical companies to advertise their product to consumers directly. Stremersh(2009) states in his research paper that so far only two countries, New Zealand and the United States, allow pharmaceutical marketers to advertise directly to consumers and in the same paper he further explains that due to this reason patient requests are often accommodated by physicians mainly because they affect physician visit satisfaction and show patients that the physician cares(Stremersch, 2009). Drugs are categorized into few groups and essentially there are two categories which are OTC drugs and prescription drugs. What is categorized as OTC varies from country to country and i s dependent on the local legislative framework according to (Buckley, 2004). Many researchers have pointed out over-the-counter drugs have become a public health problem due to misuse, disease mongering and drug abuse and wrong, in appropriate or inadequate information given in the promotional program may have an impact of this health issue(Ashish, 1999, Allotey, 2004, Fernando, 2008, Buckley, n.d.). While there are government agencies charged with monitoring the marketing of medicines, typically this is one of many briefs for these agencies and is often only in a reactive fashion. In other words such monitoring as does occur, occurs only in response to complaints, and even then is often very slow and cumbersome(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley(n.d.) urges that two things should happen to put this issue in a correct track which are establishing independent monitoring bodies to police marketing codes of practice with real penalties and paying increased attention to the education of the consumers of pharmaceutical advertising, in particular those with prescribing powers (Buckley, n.d.).In Sri Lanka also the situation is almost same like most of the countries in the world. The government has imposed rules and regulations for promoting and advertising pharmaceuticals within the country. In a paper published by the Sri Lanka medical associations ethics committee recently says that Advertisement to the general public should help people to make rational decision on the use of drugs which are legally available without a prescription. They should take account of peoples legitimate desire for information regarding their health, but should not take undue advantage of their concern for their health. Drug advertisement should neither portray nor be directed at children. Advertisement may claim that a drug can cure, prevent or relieve an ailment only if this can be substantial. They should also indicate, where applicable, limitations to the use of the drug When lay language is used, the information should be consistent with the scientific data sheet or other legally determined scientific basis for approval. Language, pictures or sounds, which bring about undue fear or distress, should not be used. The following list illustrates the type of information that advertisement to the general public should contain The name of the active ingredient, using either international non-proprietary names or the approved generic name of the drug The brand name Major indication(s) for use Major precautions, contraindications for warning Name and the address of the manufacturer or the distributor Information to the consumer on price should be accurately and honestly portrayed(Committee(SLMAEC), 2003). Though the guidelines are clear, there is a doubt of implementing and practicing the guidelines in many countries including Sri Lanka. There is a big challenge and responsibility for the government authorities and regulatory bodies in terms of providing correct information to the consumers. Techniques, methods and effective advertising Pharmaceutical industry is in a pressure and Kesic(2008) states that fast globalization is the main factor of the strategic development of the world pharmaceutical industry. There are so many challengers in pharmaceutical industry and drug companies running after many strategic moves to have sustainable competitive advantage. Direct marketing products to consumer have become one of the innovative methods to win the market comparatively. Buckley(n.d.) states that in United States all drugs may be promoted to consumer, but in practice direct to consumer advertising focuses on OTC and common ailment targeted prescription drugs(Buckley, n.d.). But some authors support to this argument and they mention direct to consumer advertising makes consumer better understanding and make more informative for drugs available to them(Leonard, 1999, Weissman, 2003). On the other hand some researchers like Maguire(1999) points out that American physicians are being asked to rubber stamp self diagnoses a nd self-prescriptions by patients. That is how some advertisements have been influenced on consumers. Kesic(2009) explains in his paper that the biggest multinational companies spend more than 25% of their sales into marketing activities especially for promoting, introducing their products and competing for global market share. Supporting to the argument of Kesic, Michael adds that drug companies spend ample number of money for number of drugs advertised increased, not only that they spend considerable amount of money for quality, attractiveness and particularly for sophisticated advertising (Michael, 2000). A paper published in Thailand in 2005 on Radio drug advertisement situation and regulation in Thailand says advertising has a strong influence on the sale volume of any goods. Drug advertising covers media such as television, radio, newspaper, magazines, internet and printed materials. It further says that radio advertisements can easily mislead people in rural areas because of socioeconomic and educational status(Kittisopee, 2005). Allotey(2004) mentions that OTC medications pro moted through television, radio and print advertising directly targeted at women, housewives or working mothers, encourage them not only to self medication but also to dispense OTC medications to their children, because it is important to establish a lifelong pattern of sensible (drug)use'(Allotey, 2004), Ashish(1999) explains that all pharmaceutical advertising is not bad but advertisements should be considered what they are promotions. Drug marketers should always try to follow the unwritten rules of marketing ethics and consider what is best for their consumers before developing a particular advertising strategy. Nowadays the issue is consumer can purchase any kind of drug online. Buckley(2004) highlights in his paper that thre is no restrictions for purchasing all kind of drugs online without a prescription and the issue is most of these internet pharmacies very low or poor quality information(Buckley, 2004). Moynihan(2002) expresses that inappropriate medication carries the dangers of unnecessary labelling, poor treatment decisions, iatrogenic illness, and economic waste, as well as the opportunity cost that result when resources are diverted away from treating or preventing more serious disease(Moynihan, 2002). How consumers are misled -Reliability, Relevance and adequacy of Advertisements Many research papers point out that drug advertisements mislead consumers in many ways directly or indirectly (Sidney, 2002, Michael, 2000, Ashish, 1999, Findlay, 2000). Though it is a common phenomena in all over the world, a practical guide on understanding and responding to pharmaceutical promotion published by the world health organization recently explains clearly how information is given to consumers in advertisements in developed and developing countries. It says while advertisements from developed countries typically contain nearly all of the information listed in the box, this is not always the case in developing countries(WHO, n.d.). The table below published by Hawkins(1993)in his research paper support to the above argument strongly and in the discussion he states that indications were mentioned more often than the negative effects of medicines. Important warnings and precautions were missing in half of the advertisements while side effects and contraindications in about forty percent. Price tended to be given only in countries where a social security system pays for the medicines(Herxheimer, 1993). Nowadays there is a trend of promoting drugs through internet. Buckley(n.d.)mentions on his research paper that most of the internet advertisements provide less information or poor quality information. Many pharmaceutical companies mislead consumers in many ways. A United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has issued 88 letters accusing drug companies of advertising violations from August 1997 to Aug 2002(Buckley, n.d.). Most of the time drug companies overstated the effectiveness of the promoting drug and they always keep attention not to highlight its risk. Some companies disseminate advertisements misleading advertisements even after they were warned or cited for violations(Gottlieb, 2002). Some drug companies stimulate consumers to buy expensive or new drugs which has high profit margin and it raises the health care cost of consumers as well as of the country ultimately. Some drugs promoted by pharmaceutical companies have limited Medical beneficiaries but those are heavily advertised because of the high profit margin. Rebecca(2010) says its almost impossible for the public to actually parse the ads and come to their own independent conclusions(Rebecca, 2010). But Weissman(2003)states in his research paper that industrys argument is that patients are highly motivated to seek the best available treatment for their condition and they need and deserve more and better information on which to base their judgement(Weissman, 2003). It is true if the pharmaceutical advertisements provide proper, balance and correct information to their consumers. A research done in Thailand, sharing the findings says that 22% radio advertisements have misled consumers and only 7% of the advertisements have recommended an appropriate dose among studied advertisements. Further more a warning message was found in only 3% of the advertisements and name of the manufacturers were present only 20% of the advertisements collected(Kittisopee, 2005).Weil(2009) is really against the trend of this drug advertisements. He says almost a ll highly advertised drugs have many complications either short term or long term basis and in general these drugs are ineffective and some serious side effects are not considered or neglected by the manufacturers. Because most pharmaceutical companies give priority for their profit margin and such vast profit potentials may be obtained from this kind of heavy drug advertising (Weil, 2009). Now there is a trend of using popular characters for marketing advertisements of drugs and sometimes they are neither reliable nor relevance. In a paper published by Michael(2000) says that Now advertisements enlist well-known personalities to endorse pharmaceutical products (Michael, 2000). Lot of people imitate and follow famous personalities and it help pharmaceuticals to reach consumer quickly and in a familiar manner. Criticizing this promotional tactics Weil(2009) says in his report that Sally Field is a talented actor, But what qualifies her to promote Boniva, an osteoporosis drug that is of limited benefit, has worrisome side effects, and for which there are natural alternatives that merit careful consideration?.(Weil, 2009) Drug companies are in the process of promoting their product to consumers in many ways. Sometimes they may use health care professionals to reach consumers because they know that consumer believe professionals who have background knowledge about treatments. Wazaify(2005) points out in his recent published paper that The main factor found to influence the publics choice of OTC medicines was pharmacist recommendation. This is reassuring especially with increasing availability of potent medications without prescription and the increased potential for interactions(Wazaify, 2005). It is one of the indirect marketing methods that the pharmaceutical industry uses. On the other hand people have a belief that over the counter drugs like paracetamol do not have serious side effects. Some over the counter drugs have serious side effects when consumer uses it with some other medications. A very good example is Viagra used for erectile dysfunction. If consumer uses it while using nitrate as a treatment of blood pressure, it causes severe drop of blood pressure which is difficult to treat. Buckley(n.d.)says it has mentioned on advertisements but in a much smaller font, it is You must not take Viagra if you are using any nitrate medication including amyl(poppers). It may lead to a severe drop of your blood pressure that may be difficulty to treat. As sexual activity may be a strain on your heart your doctor will need to check whether you are fit enough to use Viagra(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley points out the ordinary people do not know what is nitrate medications and they cannot recognize from this statement that the combination of these two drugs will en ough to kill them more often. Supporting to this argument Wazaify(2005) mentions that consumers generally believe that only safe medicines are permitted to be sold without prescription and OTC medicines do not usually have serious side-effects(Wazaify, 2005). Some giant pharmaceutical companies have their own physicians, independent monitoring committees and analytical groups etc. They make public aware of some new drugs which are effective treatment for some diseases which are common among current generation and they suggest through advertisements, that it may be effective to use their drugs or supplementary product to prevent from those diseases. This is another current trend in the world and basically what they do is label healthy people that they are sick. Supporting to this arguments Moynihan(2002) express his view in this paper stating that sometimes the issue is informal alliance engage, including doctors, drug company staff and consumer groups and this kind of alliance is being used by the drug companies in raising public awareness about some new drugs which are not scientifically proven. On the other hand theses groups conduct some health campaigns and awareness programmes about undiagnosed and untreatable problems and view of th is kind of problems are treatable because these disease awareness programmes are directly connected to drug companies and their marketing strategies. In general drug companies use this type of marketing strategies to promote their new pharmaceutical products (Moynihan, 2002). Extensive advertising and promotion has put on higher price on pharmaceuticals. Consumer has become the victim of those expensive pharmaceuticals. Dave(2010)says Promotion may affect price through two difference processes. First, promotion may increase demand and/or reduce the absolute magnitude of the demand price elasticity (that is, reduce the price responsiveness of purchasers), which may raise price. Second, the increasing operation cost due to high promotional spending may be shifted to purchasers in the form of higher price. Concluding his findings he states that in addition to potential misuse, the cost of direct to consumer advertising result from increased drug price and increased use of expensive drugs in place of equally effective lower-price drugs(Dave, 2010). Effect of Misleading Many researchers have pointed out that misleading consumer due to unprofessional advertisement of the pharmaceutical industry has created considerable issue to the society in many countries(Herxheimer, 1993, Dave, 2010, Leonard, 1999, Ashish, 1999). There is a reasonable doubt whether consumers spend money for their real requirements of treatments. Moynihan (2002) says drug companies earn lot of money from healthy people and it is better to describe as disease mongering. He further says some practices in medicine and pharmaceuticals are questionable particularly on the subject of disease mongering and its impact on public health, medical practices, public awareness and financial budgeting(Moynihan, 2002). There are people who count this criticism and say Direct To Consumer Advertisements (DTCA) fosters rapid detection of disease and promote grater compliance with treatment regimes. Further more they suggest that DTCA is simply part of a wider social trend whereby consumers take great er responsibility for their health care(Hoek, 2002). Pharmaceutical industry may grab ample amount of money from consumers through unprofessional promotions and advertising drugs. Most of the time heavily promoted drugs may have less clinically importance considering the price as the generic drug provide almost similar clinical effect at a cheap price. Parker(2003),supporting to this argument says Prescription drugs such as Celebrex and Vioxx are heavily promoted and cost the consumer just over $2per pill, while generic ibuprofen, which cost the consumer pennies per pill, often work just as well(Parker, 2003). Effective and attractive advertisement can attract consumer towards the product some times without considering the quality or the value of the product. Ashish(1999) states in his publication that Advertising is thought to contribute to the economy as well. By effective promoting increase in promotion of goods and services may occur, which in turn can result in increase in sales and the flow of money within society(Ashish, 1999). But some researchers expresses a different idea about the relationship between drug price and drug advertisements. They point out when drugs are advertised, the market is more competitive and due to that the price of the particular drug reduces. Research has generally found that advertising tend to reduce price, rather than increase them, primarily because advertising makes markets more competitive(Calfee, 2002). Sometimes drug advertisement give wrong information due to many reasons for consumers and it is affected for less dose or overdose usage of drugs. A general problem associated with drug advertisements is that it is a powerful influence which may motivate consumers to select overly expensive, overrated, or less than optimum medications for their particular needs. More specifically, it is possible to identify numerous individual problems associated with the promotional practice(Ashish, 1999). Our culture very much believes in the More in Better principle and consumers sometimes even ho

Feminism: A Constant Stride Towards Equality Essay -- Gender Studies

â€Å"Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors.† -Evelyn Cunningham Feminism is an idea based on the assumption that women have the same human, political and social rights as men, furthermore, that women should have the same opportunities as men in their personal choices regarding careers, politics and expression (Reference.com). A feminist text states the author’s agenda for women in society as they relate to oppression by a patriarchal power structure and the subsequent formation of social ‘standards’ and ‘protocols’. It points out deficiencies in society regarding equal opportunity, and the author will make certain the reader will be aware of this motive (Bahar). In a work of fiction, the main character, or heroine, personifies the social struggle against male domination. Unfortunately, feminism is said to have too many negative connotations and thus it seems the term, and therefore the movement, is restricted by the glass ceiling, of which it aims to fight (Ferguson). Numerous works which we explored throughout t he semester possess characteristics of feminist works, in particular, the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, written by Flannery O’Connor. These are both considered feminist texts because they aim to portray women as stronger, more independent subjects, and to defy the norms that have been created by men in the past. The feministic ideas that are touched upon help to strengthen the works as well as critique modern society. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† tells a story about a woman’s struggles against male-centric thinking and societal ‘norms’. Feminist allusions are abundant throughout this s... ...y 36.3 (2011): 733-757. Literary Reference Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† 1912. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology For Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 954-968. Print. Hinely, Susan. â€Å"Charlotte Wilson, the â€Å"Woman Question†, and the Meanings of Anarchist Socialism in Late Victorian Radicalism.† International Review of Social History 57.1 (2012): 3-36. ProQuest Military Collection; ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find.† 1955. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology For Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 1283-1296. Print. â€Å"Reference.com - A Free Online Encyclopedia & Information Reference.† Reference.com. Web. 8 Apr. 2012. .

Societial Changes in the Middle East in 600 B.C.E. :: Politics, world history, Mesopotamia

From the time of the Agricultural revolution till 600 B.C.E, many changes were being made in society. New tools and weapons were developed, new types of writing, and new art forms were all being discovered and altered. But one societal element that is crucial to everyone is politics. The politics of a society effect the citizens day to day lives, and set boundries for all people. Between the time of the Agricultural Revolution and 600 B.C.E, the Middle East experienced political changes such as; the dimensions of government, and the land that was conquered and controlled. The one thing during this time that did remain unchanged, for the most part, were the political leaders of the time period. In Mesopotamia priests were held to a high standard and had a lot of political and economical involvement. As the city-states in Mesopotamia advanced so did the interaction with different empires. Also as the involvement grew so did the civilians quality of life, even for the slaves. Eventually Mesopotamia split up into a north and south region. The region split up due to political and economic reasons. The North was ruled by the Assyria and the south was ruled by Hammurabi. The heightened economic time continued, but it was short lived after the conflict in Anatolia in 1200 B.C.E. the Mesopotamia economy collapsed and they then had a time of poverty and struggle. Assyrian rule lasted from 911 to 612 B.C.E in the northern Mesopotamia region. It is considered by most historians as the first empire. The expansion of Assyrian took place along major trade routes which gave them a stable economy. As the expansion continued policies were put in place to support and benefit the upper classes of society. Later the empire began to diminish because of the hatred it received from its conquered people, and the empires population became less and less loyal to its rulers. During 2000 B.C.E the Israelites populates an area located at cross roads of trade routes. Their petite population inhabited a diminutive territory that was deprived of natural resources, but they were nestled at a cross road of trade routes which was very beneficial for their economy.

Agriculture in a Market Economy and Sustainable Alternatives Essay

Agriculture in a Market Economy and Sustainable Alternatives Imagine driving through any number of Midwestern states, passing acres upon acres of corn or soybeans, feeding lots in Kansas with thousands of cattle, or rows of poultry barns in Virginia that leave their memories in your nose for miles down the road. Today’s agricultural system in the United States is one that follows capitalism and demands competition, which usually means make as much as you can with as few resources as possible. These practices tend to be harmful to both environmental and human health, are not sustainable in the long term, and have forced many farmers out of the industry when they can’t compete with the big companies. Many people, including Christians, believe they are called to be stewards and protectors of the earth with a responsibility to act with justice towards other human beings. While there are Christians and other people who hold strong ethical beliefs involved in conventional methods of agriculture, others are seeking more just and sustainable methods of producing food. Modern agriculture in the United States followed in suit with the Industrial Revolution and searched for ways to become bigger, make more money, and be more efficient. Just as in factories, many farms began specializing in one crop or livestock, spreading onto more land, and using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to encourage growth. For many farmers, to participate in the market economy where the government subsidizes many crops and farm products and market prices are highly unstable, the only way to remain competitive is to produce a surplus. In addition, they are playing into an export economy, which has major implications for communities and the envir... ...â€Å"Linking Tables to Farms.† In Eric T. Freyfogle (Ed.), The New Agrarianism: Land Culture, and the Community. pp17-27. Washington: Island Press. Long, Cheryl. (1999) â€Å"Certified Organic.† Organic Gardening 46(6), 44-46. Retrieved November 19, 2004, from Academic Search Elite. Madden, Patrick. (1988). â€Å"Low-Input/Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education- Challenges to the Agricultural Economics Profession.† American Journal of Agricultural Economics 7 (5), 1167-1172. Retrieved November 19, 2004, from Business Source Premier database. Orr, David. (2001). â€Å"The Urban-Agrarian Mind.† Eric T. Freyfogle (Ed.), The New Agrarianism: Land Culture, and the Community. pp93-107. Washington: Island Press. Snowe, Olympia . â€Å"USDA Organic Food Standards.† FDCH Press Releases 21/Oct/2002 . Retrieved November 10, 2004 , from Military and Government Collection database. Agriculture in a Market Economy and Sustainable Alternatives Essay Agriculture in a Market Economy and Sustainable Alternatives Imagine driving through any number of Midwestern states, passing acres upon acres of corn or soybeans, feeding lots in Kansas with thousands of cattle, or rows of poultry barns in Virginia that leave their memories in your nose for miles down the road. Today’s agricultural system in the United States is one that follows capitalism and demands competition, which usually means make as much as you can with as few resources as possible. These practices tend to be harmful to both environmental and human health, are not sustainable in the long term, and have forced many farmers out of the industry when they can’t compete with the big companies. Many people, including Christians, believe they are called to be stewards and protectors of the earth with a responsibility to act with justice towards other human beings. While there are Christians and other people who hold strong ethical beliefs involved in conventional methods of agriculture, others are seeking more just and sustainable methods of producing food. Modern agriculture in the United States followed in suit with the Industrial Revolution and searched for ways to become bigger, make more money, and be more efficient. Just as in factories, many farms began specializing in one crop or livestock, spreading onto more land, and using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to encourage growth. For many farmers, to participate in the market economy where the government subsidizes many crops and farm products and market prices are highly unstable, the only way to remain competitive is to produce a surplus. In addition, they are playing into an export economy, which has major implications for communities and the envir... ...â€Å"Linking Tables to Farms.† In Eric T. Freyfogle (Ed.), The New Agrarianism: Land Culture, and the Community. pp17-27. Washington: Island Press. Long, Cheryl. (1999) â€Å"Certified Organic.† Organic Gardening 46(6), 44-46. Retrieved November 19, 2004, from Academic Search Elite. Madden, Patrick. (1988). â€Å"Low-Input/Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education- Challenges to the Agricultural Economics Profession.† American Journal of Agricultural Economics 7 (5), 1167-1172. Retrieved November 19, 2004, from Business Source Premier database. Orr, David. (2001). â€Å"The Urban-Agrarian Mind.† Eric T. Freyfogle (Ed.), The New Agrarianism: Land Culture, and the Community. pp93-107. Washington: Island Press. Snowe, Olympia . â€Å"USDA Organic Food Standards.† FDCH Press Releases 21/Oct/2002 . Retrieved November 10, 2004 , from Military and Government Collection database.

Arts and Sciences essay Essay

â€Å"To what extent does the subjective nature of perception act as an advantage for artists and an obstacle that is to be overcome by scientists?†Ã‚  In the theory of knowledge, there are four ways of knowing: perception, reasoning, language and emotion. The central focus is on perception which is fundamentally about using one or more of the five senses to gain knowledge. There are several areas of knowledge such as the arts, sciences, human sciences, history, mathematics and ethics. However, the two focal areas of knowledge are the arts and sciences. A science is an area of knowledge where the scientific method is employed through formulating a hypothesis, constructing a method and drawing a scientific conclusion from the results. The arts are completely different on the other hand. It accentuates the importance of using one’s imagination and expressing emotions through an aesthetically pleasing medium be it visual arts, drama, dance, music or literature. Perception is known to be very subjective which means that different individuals can perceive and interpret the same object in a different manner. What may be deduced by someone may not be the same as the conclusion that another person has drawn. The subjective nature of perception has been known to obscure the nature of science and at the same time, work well for artists. Despite certain exceptions, the subjective nature of sense perception can be viewed as a substantial advantage for artists but it can be a hindrance for scientists. Perception is known to be very subjective regardless of the sense because different people have different abilities and tastes. We know perception is subjective because one person might perceive something different from his/her acquaintance. For instance, in the movie A Beautiful Mind, the protagonist Nash has taken drugs therefore he hallucinates. Whilst he sees images of his past, his family and friends are not able to see or hear those images therefore Nash’s perception has been substantially deceived. This shows that the perception is skewed towards one viewpoint because people have different abilities to see and hear different things. Another reason why perception may be subjective is because different individuals have different tastes and this can formulate differing opinions about a particular topic. For example, a Middle Eastern person, who is not very accustomed to spicy food, might find jalapenos very spicy because of the amount of heat in jalapeno however an Indian may find it insufficiently spicy because they eat much spicier food at home. Across the world, different people have contrasting tastes therefore this makes the nature of perception even more subjective. However, there are counter claims which contravene with this knowledge issue. For instance, when it comes to color, almost everyone can agree on one standpoint. For example, everyone can safely say that the sky is blue including the color blind people because they only struggle perceiving the colors red and green. This shows that perception is sometimes objective. There are some other examples that apply to the different senses besides eyesight. For example, coffee without any sugar is very bitter and almost all, if not all people can agree on the fact that sugarless coffee is bitter. This shows that there are some aspects of this world where people’s views about a particular object are the same no regardless of where they originate from. This means they acquire the same knowledge. However, the fact still remains that perception can sometimes be subjective because not too many people would interpret an object in the same manner due to differences in tastes, abilities and cultural perspectives. Moreover, we know that the subjective nature of perception can hamper a scientist from gaining correct knowledge about the sciences. For example, according to what we cover in the chemistry syllabus, the atom is composed of protons, neutrons, electrons, electron shells and orbitals. However, these subatomic particles are so infinitesimally small to the extent that no one can be able to see them, not even with the aid of a microscope. This can pose a major problem for scientists because it hampers with their knowledge of atomic chemistry. It also ignites doubts about whether claims about the atom are correct or not. There are many experiments to find out what exists within an atom but they are all different, thus substantiating the subjective nature of perception. However, this can prove to be an invalid argument because different people interpret different phenomena differently. In this case, even though all the people would struggle to see the subatomic particles, some people would more easily find evidence of atomic structures. Acids are another example which substantiates the subjectivity of perception. Orange contains an acid called citric acid which has a high pH and is therefore a weak acid.

Unemployment – Case Study

Therefore we consider theories of selling, by studying the decision-making process of buyers.Problem In the case study: 1. How will Jan maintain good rapport and close the deal of the purchase. 2. Jan inexperienced customers and unsure of his ability to explain the product in the new surroundings to a more technical audience. 3. He is also worried about demonstrating the product to the office staff since one of the advantage which will become apparent at any such demonstration is the potential staff savings of the equipment. 4.Jan is dejected and He thinks where did he go wrong and what will he do now? Ian Browsing is a salesperson and has the ability in selling appropriate products to customers need, answering any questions is his capability to communicate. With his being good communicator, he convince and get good harmonious relationship and close to deal of purchase. Jan needs to assure that before he explain to the new surroundings he must be knowledgeable and he learned what his being explain so he need to study first before he proceed to explanation.Jan dejected as it means Jan can't continuously become demonstrating the products because only purchasing anger can do what he will do. Jan worried so that he need to talk the supervisor who promoted him as direct business division to also get information about the company premises. The purchasing manager is upset because he has not been consulted about the proposed purchase so Jan has been dejected. He Is also worried about equipment Jan Browsers Is a salesperson promoted to direct division In a computer company.HIS ability to strike rapport with prospects and reading them well, leaders to purchase is the contribution of his success. When he started working in the local firms he contacts a chemical-producing company with co employees, 1 2 of those is in office and administrative positions. He Is asked before his visits for the demonstration of the sullenest as well as posting relevant details to the company's office manager. He is worried because he is inexperienced when deals in retail, but much of his 1 OFF by the office manager. He telephoned Jan saying he is determined to block the purchase on pentacle. VI.RECOMMENDATION For Jan Browsers as a sales person and for purchasing manager they need to have DOD harmonious relationship in order to benefit their company. Jan has to appear to the purchasing manager and convince him and he must use his ability in communicating the purchase manager. For purchasing manager he might be look and try Jan too new direct division if it is effective so that he knows first the capability and knowledge of Jan. Purchasing was believed to be a problem solving behavior undertaken by a rational individual whose goal was to maximize satisfaction by choosing ideal combination from range affordable commodities. Unemployment – Case Study Therefore we consider theories of selling, by studying the decision-making process of buyers.Problem In the case study: 1. How will Jan maintain good rapport and close the deal of the purchase. 2. Jan inexperienced customers and unsure of his ability to explain the product in the new surroundings to a more technical audience. 3. He is also worried about demonstrating the product to the office staff since one of the advantage which will become apparent at any such demonstration is the potential staff savings of the equipment. 4.Jan is dejected and He thinks where did he go wrong and what will he do now? Ian Browsing is a salesperson and has the ability in selling appropriate products to customers need, answering any questions is his capability to communicate. With his being good communicator, he convince and get good harmonious relationship and close to deal of purchase. Jan needs to assure that before he explain to the new surroundings he must be knowledgeable and he learned what his being explain so he need to study first before he proceed to explanation.Jan dejected as it means Jan can't continuously become demonstrating the products because only purchasing anger can do what he will do. Jan worried so that he need to talk the supervisor who promoted him as direct business division to also get information about the company premises. The purchasing manager is upset because he has not been consulted about the proposed purchase so Jan has been dejected. He Is also worried about equipment Jan Browsers Is a salesperson promoted to direct division In a computer company.HIS ability to strike rapport with prospects and reading them well, leaders to purchase is the contribution of his success. When he started working in the local firms he contacts a chemical-producing company with co employees, 1 2 of those is in office and administrative positions. He Is asked before his visits for the demonstration of the sullenest as well as posting relevant details to the company's office manager. He is worried because he is inexperienced when deals in retail, but much of his 1 OFF by the office manager. He telephoned Jan saying he is determined to block the purchase on pentacle. VI.RECOMMENDATION For Jan Browsers as a sales person and for purchasing manager they need to have DOD harmonious relationship in order to benefit their company. Jan has to appear to the purchasing manager and convince him and he must use his ability in communicating the purchase manager. For purchasing manager he might be look and try Jan too new direct division if it is effective so that he knows first the capability and knowledge of Jan. Purchasing was believed to be a problem solving behavior undertaken by a rational individual whose goal was to maximize satisfaction by choosing ideal combination from range affordable commodities.