The media seems to look for stories that show how dangerous prescription drugs can be. They routinely exploit consumer fears by over hyping a bad side effect or a death from a drug. “Deadly drug in your medicine cabinet” seems to be a popular story that is used as a teaser to get viewer attention […]
DTC in Perspective: Pharmacists Join AMA in Calling for DTC Ban
The AHSP, the organization that represents 43,000 pharmacists and technicians in hospitals and other acute care settings, called for banning DTC. This was a change from previous positions that supported DTC in limited use. The AHSP does not represent retail pharmacy but it is still an important voice in health care. Along with the AMA […]
Hope for Humanity with Disease Education and Prevention
The irony of the surname of 19th century Scottish author and reformer Samuel Smiles resonates within the pharmaceutical industry in its efforts to bring disease education and prevention to a huge and diverse population. Smiles stated, “Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success, for who so hopes strongly has within him the […]
ASHP Joins AMA in Seeking DTC Ban
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has joined the American Medical Association (AMA) in calling for a ban on DTC advertising. Announced during an annual meeting of the ASHP House of Delegates during their Summer Meetings and Exhibition last week, the national pharmacist group approved a new policy calling on Congress to ban all […]
The Importance of Trust in Health Education
Where do consumers go to find information? Don’t overthink it—the simple answer is Google. In fact, the last time Google released data in 2012, the search engine giant reported more than 1 trillion searches every year. It’s only safe to assume that number has grown significantly since then. But where are these consumers getting their […]
Promises and Pitfalls in Calculating Drug Value
Following the logic of value-based purchasing, drugs with promise of extending life and treating rare diseases should have a higher purchasing value than those with unclear clinical efficacy results and economic benefits. Sounds reasonable. However, what the healthcare system is lacking is a straightforward method of assessing which drugs are both efficacious and cost-conscious. To address […]
Can A Focus On Patient Diversity Improve Clinical Trial Participation?
The necessity of clinical trials as a means of assessing potentially life-saving interventions is widely accepted by healthcare providers and medical researchers alike. Also generally agreed upon is the difficulty of finding patients who meet the necessary inclusion criteria to participate in these clinical trials. In part, this challenge can be attributed to the administrative […]
DTC in Perspective: Why We Benefit from Higher Drug Prices
Let me cite a headline in a recent 5/27 Associated Press story. “Superbug resistant to last-resort antibiotic found in the United States.” For the naïve critics who want to hammer drug companies who do you think will develop new antibiotics? Will it be the same caliber folks who run the TSA? The Post Office? The […]
DTC in Perspective: New Research on Banning TV DTC
Winning Over Pharma Communication Challenges
Social Media, Risk, Cross-Functional and Strategy Renowned author and literary critic Lawrence Clark Powell said, “Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow.” The idealism inherent in this statement is inspirational for the pharmaceutical industry when overcoming communication challenges. Barriers are eliminated through insightful interpretation of the written word, verbalization of […]