July 29, 2026

Big Pharma's drug marketing got stealthy, and you are the target

The pharma rep with the free lunch is gone. What replaced it is harder to see, and aimed at you and your doctor. Martha Rosenberg is an investigative reporter who has worked at two medical schools and two medical ad agencies, seeing drug marketing from the inside. This episode is based on her article "3 new pharma marketing tactics every physician should know," published on KevinMD. Reporting from a pharma conference, Martha breaks down three tactics drug makers no longer hide. You will hear how AI apps track where a prescriber sits on the "prescription journey," how disease mongering and TikTok influencers turn everyday worries into conditions worth medicating, and how the industry is shifting from "ask your doctor" ads to pop-up and online practices that sell straight to patients and sidestep the FDA. She also flags a Maryland bill that would force disclosure of pharma funding behind patient advocacy groups. Press play to learn how to spot the marketing dressed up as medicine, and why your skepticism is the best defense you have.

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