Is Dr. Jarvik qualified to be a professional spokesman for Lipitor?

Darkfrog submitted, created time 9 months 1 week (www.nytimes.com)

Dr. Jarvik is famous for inventing a workable artificial heart, but he's not a cardiologist or even licensed to practice medicine. So why is he the face of choice for all those Lipitor ads? This article explores the propriety of these advertisements and lists inquiries into their ethics.

Dr. Jarvik isn' t just a celebrity face or a friendly testimonial. The use of his name implies some kind of expert endorsement, which he is not necessarily qualified to make. At the same time, he is a patient currently taking Lipitor and the ads don't state anything that isn't true or even out of balance -- that Lipitor, under a doctor's supervision, may help lower cholesterol if diet and exercise don't do the trick on their own. Still, I think that too many stupid people will assume that it is Jarvik the professional, not Jarvik the patient, who is speaking.

Keywords: advertisements advertising marketing ethics Lipitor Pfizer cholesterol drugs prescription drugs science and culture