In 1987, U.S. consumers became aware of the growing health threat of hepatitis B - and a newly approved treatment - because of a nationwide patient screening program that featured a dialogue with key prescribers.
In 1993, for 24 hours a day over seven days, Americans were invited to call a panel of sleep experts to talk about their insomnia and the benefits of a new sleep medication.
This year, during National Cancer Awareness month, cancer patients learned that the under-recognized and under-treated problem of cancer-induced anemia could be a cause of their fatigue, and that they could talk to their doctor about treatments.
All of these campaigns are examples of direct-to-consumer (DTC) PR campaigns that our agency has conducted to increase public awareness of branded prescription medications. And all of these campaigns were conceived and implemented even before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed regulations on DTC advertising several months ago.
PR Sets Stage for DTC
This is because as a communications discipline, PR is well-versed at facilitating an appropriate, comprehensive exchange with the American consumer about prescription medications.
The new FDA guidelines permit advertisers to omit the technical, line-by-line information about a drug and its side effects, although this information still is required for print ads.
But the new rules also require disclosure, in "consumer-friendly" language, of the product's health risks.
This "major statement" must be addressed in the advertisement itself, as well as by directing the viewer or listener to call a toll-free hotline or visit an Internet web site for more information.
Essentially, the new DTC advertising rules are bringing advertisers into the world of PR. But it is crucial that campaigns combine advertising with PR to provide the proper context for the consumer - and for the product.
Under the new FDA rules, consumers will be able to discern from a television advertisement what disease or condition the drug being advertised can treat. This is helpful information, but it is still just one piece of the communications pie. There is much more a consumer should know, such as:
- Why is there a need for this therapy?
- Why does a consumer need to know about this drug?
- How does it fit into a person's lifestyle?
- What are symptoms of the condition for which this treatment is indicated?
- What diagnostic options are available?
- What do authoritative third parties think about the drug?
- What are the benefits of this product compared with other medicines a patient already may be taking?
- What is the role of family in supporting a person in dealing with this condition?
PR/Advertising Collaboration
A 60-second spot cannot deliver all of this. Now more than ever, the DTC environment bodes well for PR being an integral component of marcom campaigns for prescription drugs.
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DTC Advertising/PR Tips Source: Nancy Turett, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide |
The more direct and awareness-generating advertising is, the greater the need for strategic PR.
The 1990s have demonstrated how smart healthcare marketers use many tools to reach target publics.
A multidisciplinary marketing communications program also addresses larger issues of how a healthcare company wants to grow, what it wants to be when it grows up, and what it is saying to its constituents about its prescription brands along that continuum.
PR provides the texture, the richness, the forum for ongoing conversation among the consumer, health professional and pharmaceutical company.
Nancy Turett is president of the nealthcare & consumer division of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. She can be reached at 212-704-8195 or [email protected].