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Getting the word to physicians via the Internet: Merck developed “My Yahoo! for Physicians” to strengthen its links with the Swedish medical community. Click here for more.      Times have changed since 1950. The size and composition of the global pharmaceutical industry and the health care systems it serves have altered almost beyond recognition. The advances in science are magnificent. But the goal expressed by George Merck remains constant. We have achieved little unless we deliver the best medicines we can discover and develop to people who need them, wherever in the world they may live and whatever their circumstances. In doing so, we must clearly demonstrate the value of our medicines to the people who prescribe or use them.     Our approach to access varies according to need     To espouse such values is one thing. To deliver on them is another. How do we ensure that our medicines are available to people who need them around the world? Relief with Vioxx: Dr. Ronald Maus of Kokomo, Indiana, prescribed Vioxx for Cheryl Norris to help relieve her osteoarthritis. The medicine’s tolerability and convenient once-a-day dosage made it a good choice for Ms. Norris.     Today’s complex global health care environment calls for far more than traditional marketing approaches. We are taking the lead in the rising debate about improved health care and access to medicines for those in need. In the United States, while we continue to advocate comprehensive Medicare reform, Merck-Medco is helping today with YOURxPLAN, a discount prescription program to serve Americans who lack prescription drug coverage. We also are collaborating with governments and non-governmental organizations, global health agencies and patient advocacy organizations to get our medicines to millions of people in the developing world. One outstanding example is our work with the Republic of Botswana and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to get medicines to people in Botswana who are suffering from HIV/AIDS and to help the country build up its health care infrastructure. We are striving to do all this while continuing to champion the benefits of national policies that will help nurture and sustain environments that support innovation.     In more traditional settings, we strive to base all of our customer relationships on high ethical standards and trust. We equip our employees with a deep knowledge of our products and the marketplace in which they compete, and we thoroughly educate them in our values and standards so that their day-to-day actions help build our customers’ confidence in our products and our information. This contributes to our mission of bringing our finest achievements to the widest possible number of people. Cozaar and Hyzaar lower blood pressure in African-Americans:  Marge Roary, MHS, left, checks Charlie Smith’s blood pressure. African-Americans are more prone to hypertension than caucasians, suffer from it earlier in life and can be a greater challenge to control, once diagnosed. This renders African-Americans more vulnerable to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. Studies show that Cozaar and Hyzaar significantly reduce hypertension in this population.     Offering innovative, quality products provides the foundation to this approach. But it also requires equally innovative delivery systems in this increasingly competitive world. Only a decade ago, Merck could expect a product with a new mechanism of action to be on the market four or five years before a competitor’s product appeared. Today, competition may appear within months.     To meet the challenge, we have built a powerful global marketing organization that has successfully introduced 16 medicines since 1995 and is ready to launch another one late in 2001. This organization is adept at both launching new products and strongly supporting them after launch. That means keeping ahead of the competition and constantly adapting to shifting health care environments around the world without losing focus or lowering standards. Back to top

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