While all of us bloggers were either blasting or defending Dr. Robert Jarvik for promoting Lipitor as an unlicensed “doctor,” he appeared on the “Good Morning America” show to answer critics who say he should not be pitching a drug as a doctor who cannot prescribe medicine because it’s misleading consumers.
He made some pretty revealing comments such as:
- Lipitor ads are educational (“Our ad campaign with Pfizer is an educational one”)
- Prescribing Lipitor is good preventive medicine
- Yet he didn’t start taking Lipitor until AFTER he became a spokesperson
- He wouldn’t say how much he or his son got paid, but “it would be considered a lot by most people.”
He began to falter when asked “What about generics? Why don’t you mention generics?”
There was a long pause … then the response:
Jarvik: “I don’t know. We have talked about generics in the ads…”
“You have?”
Jarvik: “Well maybe there’s an ad that hasn’t come out yet that you haven’t seen.” (smirk) “So, we do address those issues.”
New Lipitor-Jarvik Ads in the Works?
Either he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, lying, or leaked information of an upcoming “non-branded” TV ad by Pfizer that “talks” about generics. Or it could be a branded ad similar to the Celebrex ad that compares the Lipitor to a generic statin.
I wonder if he’ll ever be called to testify before Congress? If so, he’ll need better coaching!
See the video of the interview here: “Medical Pitchman Under Fire”.
