Rola śledztw dziennikarskich w kreowaniu etycznych standardów marketingu farmaceutycznego

This article demonstrates that journalists and their publications influenced the rise of ethical standards of pharmaceutical marketing in Poland. Nowadays media perform a substantial role in creating and changing reality. In this article, investigations of Polish journalists concerning the relation of doctors with medical sales representatives are described. The author analyses Polish pharmaceutical law and existence of the self-regulation of ethical organizations of pharmaceutical companies and of doctors in Poland. It also presents the results of in-depth interviews with medical sales representatives and shows their opinion whether journalistic investigations and other disapproving publications in the media influenced their work and the functioning of their company. Before reporters started revealing possible reservations about the cooperation of physicians with industry representatives, this subject was largely neglected. Published press reports caused further examinations, and often led to the arrest of persons associated with corruption. It is possible that first journalistic, and then prosecutor’s investigations sharpened the the Polish pharmaceutical law of 2007.