ASMI Floats New S3 Advert

The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI) yesterday unveiled details of the proposed “consumer communication model” it has been advocating for S3 products.  The model, developed with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Pharmacy Guild, emphasises the importance of the pharmacist in counselling and determining what is the most appropriate therapeutic option for a consumer.

ASMI says current S3 advertising restrictions limit consumer awareness of treatments available without a prescription, meaning consumers continue to consult GPs for conditions which could be safely managed by pharmacists.  A “mock” sample advertisement has been created for a fictitious brand created in an existing S3 category that cannot be advertised - ‘Brand FAM’ (famciclovir) for cold sore treatment.

ASMI spokesperson Filomena Maiese said the approach is different to conventional consumer advertising of Pharmacy Medicines in S2 and unscheduled medicines, as the brand awareness component takes a secondary role to the educational aspects.  “This new model aims to shift the emphasis to the provision of symptom-related and/or disease-state related information, together with the requirement for counselling by a pharmacist”.

The proposed approach is being tested for its impact on consumers, pharmacists and pharmacy assistants by the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Technology, Sydney.  “This testing aims to measure the impact of S3 consumer communication on healthcare outcomes, with research results expected in the first half of next year,” Maiese added.

Click here to view the mock advertisement.

Source: pharmacydaily.com.au, Thursday 12 November 2015.