Building Trust with a skeptical Congress and Public
Jan/22/2007 07:16 Filed in: DTC
Environment
The pharmaceutical industry is known for doing a wealth of market research and development of messaging before launching branded ads. Why the industry doesn't band together and take this same approach to inform and educate consumers is beyond me. Instead we have the CEO of Merck talking about breakthrough products and Pfizer spots highlighting their R&D at the same time we read about Vioxx litigation and record profits for pharma manufacturers. This approach is about as credible as the oil companies charging us $3.50 for a gallon of gas.
The key question is "does DTC serve a public purpose?". The answer to that according to research is YES. Most of us want to have choices in our healthcare, including prescription drugs we put into our bodies. We want to be able to maximize the limited time we spend with our doctors asking educated and informed questions. DTC advertising can help make more people aware that certain conditions, if left untreated, can lead to a decreased quality of life not to mention adding a financial burden to our healthcare system. How many people have statins saved from coronary heart disease? How many people have beat cancer thanks to early detection influenced by advertising? These are all questions that need to be addressed when the government looks to reign in DTC.
ACTION PLAN
Here is what I believe needs to be done to address the skeptics in Congress and take a proactive approach to DTC enforcement;
1. Moratorium- Have a 120 day moratorium on DTC advertising for newly approved prescription medications. This would give pharmaceutical companies a chance to educate and inform HCP's about the new drug in preparation for a "hard launch". However, if a product is truly a breakthrough and could save lives than pharma should be allowed to ask for an "exception" and start DTC when the drug is approved and the spots have been approved by the FDA.
2. FDA Adds Staff- The FDA needs to add people to review all DTC advertising, especially people who are familiar with the Internet and message development.
3. Continued Research- The FDA needs to continue to sponsor ongoing market research to determine the effects of DTC on the public, including pharma-economics. This research plan needs to have buy in from skeptics in Congress so that they can quantify the effect of DTC on our healthcare costs.
4. Pharma Needs to Build Trust- Start from square one and build trust with a skeptical public and media. Invite reporters in to observe the DTC process and compliance training. Educate the public on how much it costs to develop a new drug and how many actually make it to market. Show the numbers of how many people are living a higher quality of life due to prescription mediations.
5. Allocate more money to disease awareness- The more people we can educate on early signs and dangers of certain conditions the more the industry can benefit.
6. Work closer with physicians on DTC -Yes, that's right ask for physicians input when developing DTC spots. Share research with them on what consumers and patients are saying about branded ads. Believe it or not physicians want to know more about their patients behavior and attitudes when it comes to healthcare choices.
Only when the industry bands together for the good of its patients will they be able to take that first step towards building trust with a skeptical public and media. We have a long way to go but sometimes the first step is the hardest.
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