July 23, 2014 – Although the pharmaceuticals industry has come under fire in recent years, it is important to remember the progress that pharma companies have made during the past several decades in treating and vanquishing diseases and conditions that used to be fatal or horribly debilitating, according to a July 21 post on the Scribd site written by Bruce Grant, senior vice president, Strategy, Epsilon/Healthcare.

In the article, “Why Pharma Matters,” Grant states that in 1948, the year he was born, “The average American man did not retire at age 65. He died of a heart attack.” Grant goes on to chronicle how the pharma industry has helped to make progress against heart disease, fatal infectious disease and polio, stating that this industry “has conducted the basic science, the clinical research, and the communication programs that have brought new medicines to patients and physicians who need them.”

He also mentions the role that healthcare communicators play in the process of marketing those drugs, saying that “We are the creators and stewards of responsible and effective communications about our clients’ products – products that can make the difference between health and illness, life and death for patients worldwide.”

“Grant’s piece reminds all of us that we should, as an industry, look back from time to time and reflect on the many accomplishments and advances that pharma has been integral to making happen,” said Coalition for Healthcare Communication Executive Director John Kamp. “We should never forget that pharma companies contribute greatly to society and that healthcare marketers play a key role in delivering truthful and beneficial information that extends lives and the quality of those lives throughout the world.”

To read Grant’s full post, go to: http://www.scribd.com/doc/234698837/Why-Pharma-Matters