How Telemedical Companies are Disrupting American Politics

Gone are the days of having to schedule a doctors appointment to receive important prescriptions. In today’s marketing climate, consumers can easily log into social media or make a few clicks on their keyboards to be able to find medications at a low cost.

Telemedical applications are utilizing social media, online and influencer marketing to capture pharmaceutical consumers in an unconventional, but easy method. Yet, these companies are disrupting some aspects of American politics like access to birth control.

Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater?

For telemedical, birth control company Nurx, offering contraceptives to consumers via discreet delivery options is not only a way to streamline ordering monthly birth control, but a way to empower its target market. Birth control is still widely-politicized in most states. The defunding of Planned Parenthood, a organization that receives federal funding to provide low-cost wellness exams for women, birth control, STD testing and other parenting resources affects millions of women on contraceptives. The organization services nearly two million people annually for birth control. Telemedical contraceptive companies are doing what they can to ensure that contraceptives are easily-available as access to birth control is becoming more daunting. But, these companies also have to adhere to state and federal laws, many of which go hand-in-hand with conservative anti-abortion policies. Abortion is also a service provided by Planned Parenthood.

Marketing Ingenuity or a Scheme?

The telemedical industry uses very common marketing measures like social media and influencer marketing to sell their products. But, many consumers, although they find this form of advertising to be effective, don’t know if many of these companies are legit. The truth is, many telemedical companies are indeed legit and follow federal regulations on pharmaceuticals. This raises an eyebrow on just how far the advancement of technology and marketing can go in our digital world. Will the ingenious marketing of these brands put “big pharma” and millions of doctors out of business? More than likely, no. But, it’s worth noting just how far medical advertising has come.

Berg, Miriam. 2017. How Federal Funding Works at Planned Parenthood. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/how-federal-funding-works-at-planned-parenthood

Riski, Tess, Singer, Natasha, Thomas, Katie. 2019. Chasing Growth, a Women’s Health Startup Cuts Corners. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/technology/nurx-birth-control-pills-online-womens-health.html

Tusk, Bradley. 2018. The 8 Political Battles Tech Companies will Fight in 2019. Fortune. Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2018/12/17/startups-political-battles-2019/