Prescription drug manufacturers are responsible for proper development of their products and the marketing and labeling it presents to the public. If there is a chance that their drug is defective, it can result in a recall and, ultimately, harm to patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies a conflict of interest between the medical needs of the public and their providers and the business goals of manufacturers, due to the fact that drug companies are the primary source of information for which products are most effective. According to WHO, pharmaceutical companies spend nearly twice of their revenue on marketing than on research and development.
However, revenues for some companies have recently decreased partly due to sales of generic competition. Pfizer's billion-dollar company hit a decline in 2013 in sales dropping to $2.3 billion from $3.9 billion in 2012 and $9.6 billion in 2011.
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