Last weekend, 60 Minutes aired a very negative story focusing on 
the pharmaceutical industry’s involvement with the passage of Medicare Part D legislation. Based on the comments left on CBS’ Website, many are (once again) very angry with Big Pharma.
Clearly, the industry faces an uphill battle for the hearts and minds of the public. Can it win? The following original poem outlines the hard task ahead for pharmaceutical executives and one positive vision for the future.
Regaining The Mantle
In the past . . .
The sky was blue, their faces gleeful.
Science and progress were the watchwords of the land.
Medical researchers toiled against fearsome foes.
And the public, they loved them.
In the present . . .
The sky is dark, their faces grim,
For the hue and cry is great.
Their foes spit curses and cry out . . .
Spin, marketing and greed have overcome science and progress
as the watchwords of the land!
And the public, they hated them.
The sky is grey, their faces unsmiling,
As they bend to the task at hand.
One by one, they take to the trenches
Strong and ready to reclaim their mantle.
Yes, they cry, we still stand for science and progress.
And the public, they wait.
In the future . . .
The sky is blue, their faces victorious,
Transparency and courage are the watchwords of the land.
Communicators, researchers, executives and others . . .
toiled against insurmountable odds.
But, they turned the tide, they regained their mantle.
And, the public, they rejoiced.
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