‘Technologies of the Self’ as Instrumentality: Becoming Instruments of the Pharmaceutical Industry through Normative Practices

Abstract

Drawing upon the developing literature on dispositive analysis, we examine the effects of pharmaceutical industry discourse on the subjectivities of nurse opinion leaders in the field of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who have taken on the role of advocates of disease modifying therapy. Specifically, we draw attention to the ‘technologies of the self’ MS nurse opinion leaders engage in as they promote the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry. Accordingly, we demonstrate how the ordering of the management and treatment of people with MS regulates the time, activities, and actions of nurse opinion leaders to promote disease modifying therapy despite less than convincing evidence for its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. By focusing our description on the ‘self-technologies’ nurse opinion leaders in the field of MS engage in, we problematize the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and nursing.