Depending on your point of view or level of awareness, the term consumerism can take on different meanings. One thing is certain, however, we Americans like to consume and even more so do so comfortably. It's no surprise that the field of advertising in business is specifically dedicated to understanding exactly what products or services interest us as consumers. Commercial entities dedicate a significant amount of resources to advertising. The pharmaceutical industry is no different. It is with this context in mind, and using the ethical framework, that I will examine the ethical fabric of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing. In the information age, we are no longer limited to television and radio to obtain knowledge. As my experiences have shown, if someone had told me fifteen years ago that I should complete my college education online, I would have laughed. I'm quite happy that technology has brought us to where we are today. The advertising industry can probably express the same sentiment. However, recently, there has been growing concern about the ethical soundness of pharmaceutical companies that directly market prescription drugs to consumers. A number of organizations are actively lobbying congress in an effort to establish legislation that would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from directly marketing prescription drugs to consumers (Gregory). However, it seems that this argument may be distorted and its intentions a bit misleading. Is it because they are against the methods used by pharmaceutical companies to engage consumers? Is it the frequency? Perhaps it's the staggering numbers that companies earn in revenue that puts a negative spin on the people on the other side of this debate... middle of paper ......r Saddle River: Pearson, 2010. 320. Print . Gregory, Sean. “Are Direct-to-Consumer Drug Ads Doomed?” Time magazine. 04 February 2009: n. page. Network. November 12, 2011. Issac, W. “Ethical Conduct Pays Off.” Business Ethics Forum. Blogger, July 15, 2004. Web. November 12, 2011. .Johnson, Robert, “Kant's Moral Philosophy,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .Kemerling , Garth. "Kant: The Moral Order." Philosophy pages. Np, 2006. Web. 12 November 2011. .Pozgar, George. Legal and ethical problems for healthcare professionals. 2. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2010. 354. Print.