subject: Using Pharmaceutical Consultants To Move Beyond The Martial And Terrorist Imagery? [print this page] Everyone knows that consultants assist companies by assessing and analyzing, by advising, by guiding, by training, by designing and implementing programs and procedures to take the companies from where they are to where they need to be. Whats less well understood is that one of the greatest benefits of using pharmaceutical consultants is the value they provide with respect to attitudes and the way people view problems and solutions. The way we view a problem determines in large part whether and how effectively we find a solution for that problem.
On September 11, 2001, the unthinkable happened. Foreign terrorists attacked Americans on American soil, killing and maiming thousands. The terrorists, some of whom were living in this country and had been educated here, transformed vehicles of peaceful transportation into deadly weapons. Andwell, we all know the rest of the story.
Then in the spring of 2009, disaster struck again. Using a portion of our food-supply chain as a means of infiltrating our homeland, alien invaders worked insidiously to sicken and kill thousands of Americans right in their homes and workplaces. Many more thousands of US citizens died than in the heinous 9/11 attacks. At first we were helpless. But we soon developed the weapons to effectively fight off this deadly attack. Still, because we lacked adequate preparedness at the time, the terrorists were able to transform our pork chops into lethal weapons and take the lives of many Americans. Now, though, we are ready for another terrorist attack by the H1N1 virus.
Does that sound ludicrous and risible? Really?
The August 2010 Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Vaccine Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza, purports to provide recommendations that will improve the Nations ability to mount counter-measures against a variety of infectious agents (iii). This sounds as though they are preparing weapons and troops to fight off the next terrorist attack.
Further, according the Report to the President, Federal funds used to increase capacity to respond more quickly to influenza pandemics would also help to develop the technical platforms and production facilities that would support medical countermeasures more broadly against a variety of pathogens (vi). After reading this, we can almost see engineers and workers scurrying about to build factories for manufacturing bombs and airplanes and ordnance. They are trying mightily to be armed and ready before the next wave of enemy attack is upon them.
And theres also this:
This committees advice should be considered seriously in all decisions and actions by the Department, given the paramount importance of the relationship between the Federal Government and industry partners. Finally, all of the Administrations efforts to improve the Nations capacity to respond quickly and effectively to the next influenza pandemic should be closely monitored by the White House, especially by the staff of the National Security Council. (xii)
This passage conjures images of high-ranking generals and government officials huddled together, with brandies at their elbows and cigar smoke in the air, hammering out strategies and tactics.
Now, is this kind martial language and terrorist imagery the best way to talk about the problem? Maybe, maybe notbut thats not the point. The point is that the language and imagery deployed evince a certain way of thinking about and imagining the problem and, consequently, the solutions. Its limiting because, once embraced, it closes off other ways of imagining and so other options. And this is where pharmaceutical consultants come in.
