Marketing to Physicians Without Conflicts of Interest
As strict funding restrictions and code of ethics suggestions1 intensify, medical device and pharmaceutical companies are looking for marketing solutions. To ensure healthcare scientific objectivity, some medical industry representatives are lobbying the government to define contribution restrictions on physician gifts, clinical research, and professional medical associations (PMAs). With many parties reviewing the need for stricter funding regulations,2 policy changes may be inevitable.
As a premier medical marketing agency, AllOut Marketing is sensitive to the ever-evolving climate and regulations for the medical industry. Since our last article about marketing to physicians, we have developed a few more tips for effectively educating your audience on your products, while steering clear of potential communication land mines.
- Educate for sales. Avoid being a salesperson—be a professor. Teach your audience about the applicable condition, disease state, and the importance of proper treatment. Educating your audience on clinical evidence, the best treatment, and future standard of care will allow the product to sell itself.
- Go on with the show. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is urging professional medical associations (PMAs) to eventually eliminate industry contributions, with the exception of journal advertisements and exhibit hall fees.3 Medical association events and tradeshows are a great vehicle for educating your audience about your brand and products. Concentrate your efforts on educational presentations with key opinion leaders, unique product learning sessions, and eye-catching booth designs. Associations will likely be more restrictive with excessive sponsorships, giveaways, and VIP gifts.
- Leverage your industry journals. Medical journal communications hone in on your target audience and keep your product benefits relevant against the competition, without causing a conflict of interest. It’s crucial to have accurate, clear, and informative messaging with attractive and supportive visuals…you only have seconds to make any impact. If you miss the mark, you’ll likely get little return on this investment.
- Be prepared for full transparency. Because there are currently minimal legal requirements to report industry contributions, it is unknown how much of physicians’ and associations’ budgets come from drug and device company support. Past and present medical societies’ leaders are already pushing for full transparency as they encourage associations to completely eliminate industry contributions. Be prepared and willing to disclose your funding and support.
Need help marketing to healthcare professionals? Contact AllOut Marketing to tap into our wide range of expertise in medical device and healthcare marketing.
1 “AdvaMed’s Compliance Leadership Expands with Updated Code of Ethics”, AdvaMed press release, December 18, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.
2 “Doctors Urge Limits on Drug Firm Money”, The Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.
3 “Professional Medical Associations and Their Relationships with Industry, A Proposal for Controlling Conflict of Interest”, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 301 No. 13, April 1, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.
— Posted 05/04/2009
