Race the Company Has Been

RACE

The Company has been developing, manufacturing, and distributing quality pharmaceuticals for over twenty years. With a solid reputation for product safety, the company can rest assured that a proactive public relations campaign can alleviate any potential problems. Recently, one of the company's cutting-edge pain killers was discovered to have caused heart disease in some consumers. The research is preliminary and therefore, the company does not necessarily need to react by withdrawing the product from the market entirely. With more thorough research, the company can determine whether a warning label or a reformulation may be necessary.

Research will consist of a review of available literature and empirical studies related to the current problem. As of now, the available literature is sparse. Therefore, further research requires interviews with the company's research and development department. This will illuminate any possible ethical violations that may have occurred, such as fast-tracking the product while knowing that it might cause heart disease. Any ethical violations that are discovered will be reported to the proper manager. The company's own research and development department may be asked to conduct in-house studies on the drug to determine if any issue had been overlooked.

Interviews with external laboratories conducting research on the pain killer will also help solve this problem. Interviews will focus on specific research questions related to the case. For example, what specific population(s) have been affected by the pain killer? Age, gender, and ethnicity are a few of the variables that will help determine what target groups have been affected. If necessary, the research and development department will be requested to conduct more thorough empirical research so that an unequivocal decision regarding the drug can be made.

Interviews with the company's marketing department can also help answer some of the research questions related to this case. Research gathered via interviews with the marketing department will allow the company to decide whether or not the pain killer can continue to be marketed to unaffected populations. Are there any pre-existing conditions that make some consumers more susceptible to the heart disease caused by the pain killer? Does stopping the pain killer cease these heart-related symptoms?

Finally, interviews with senior management will best determine the company's course of action. The interviews will be based on ultimate goals, possible ethical violations, and legal ramifications. Interviews with company attorneys may also be in order.

Action

If it has been determined that the pain killer does indeed cause heart disease and among random samples, the company must consider an aggressive public relations campaign. This campaign will help to salvage the company's reputation even before it has been sullied. In this case, action will consist of several simple steps. First, the company will need to begin recalling the drug entirely. To do so, the company will need to systematically contact all suppliers of the pain killer. All suppliers must be alerted to the problem. The company must then print and distribute a simple warning notice to all distributors.

However, if research reveals that only some members of the population are at risk for the heart disease complications, then a different course of action would be recommended. In this case, the drug may be deemed safe for almost all consumers except for some who are predicted to be at risk for heart disease complications. The course of action here is relatively easy, as the company needs to address the connection between the pain killer and heart disease in an objective manner. Company attorneys will help with the decision-making process. Re-printing warning labels and re-scheduling the drug if necessary are some of the ways the company can see returns on its initial investment into this pain killer rather than recalling it entirely.

The company needs to frame the heart complication as one that is rare. Instead of apologizing, the company needs to stand by its products and assert its commitment to safety. When the company issues its warning, the commitment to safety will be evident. Moreover, the company will need to develop a new arsenal of pain killers that will take the place of the current one. This will allow the consumer public to see that the company offers options for their health care, all of which live up to high standards of safety. Finally, the company will need to show how the pain killer has been approved by government administrations like the FDA.

Communication

All types of communication media will be used during this aggressive public relations campaign. When possible the company will send agents and representatives to meet one-on-one with health care professionals and government agents. The public media will be used well, as a tool by which the company can raise awareness about consumer options for pain killers. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines should alert consumers who purchased the culprit pain killer, asking those individuals to consult their doctor and find out if they are at risk for developing heart disease. Especially if research yields data about certain populations that are at a greater risk for heart disease complications than others, the public media will be one way to alleviate fears. Not all consumers may be affected and can continue to take the drug. Alternatively, a total recall would entitle consumers to a free sample of the next pain killer the company releases. This use of public media will be a boon to the company's reputation.

Interactive media will center on the company's Web site, which will be updated to display information about the pain killer on the front page. Consumers visiting the Web site should not have to navigate to find the information, as it will be prominently displayed. The idea is to convey a sense of communications transparency, which will engender trust. Events and group meetings will help the company showcase alternative pain killers as well as field questions about the current one. Finally, controlled media sources will be distributed to hospitals and any health care providers who are direct clients of the company.