Pharmacy Daily | ASMI Diamond Awards

THE Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) recognised excellence in sales and marketing at the ASMI Diamond Awards dinner last week, attended by more than 200 industry personnel at Le Montage in Sydney.

Three categories of awards recognised exceptional service to the industry, marketing campaigns (including an all-new award for switch) and sales service, with this category split in two based on pharmacy sales size of more than and less than $100 million.

Pfizer's switch campaign for Nexium, placing PPIs as a new category for pharmacy front shop, beat out Nasonex and Nuromol for the Best Switch Award.

Best New Product Launch was unanimously won by Johnson & Johnson Pacific which won for its Regaine for Women launch.

Best Large Budget Campaign was taken out by Bayer's Nasonex "Enjoy Earth" campaign, while Best Small Budget Campaign went to Ego for its MOOV Deadlice story.

The "Know your Nurofen" campaign delivered the Best HCP Campaign award to RB and CHE Proximity while Margaret Richards (ex-JJP), Kerryn Greive (ex-Ego), and Sandie Rooke and Ray Maio (both ex-Engel Hellyer & Partners) were recognised with Excellence Awards for their many years serving on or representing ASMI on various committees and forums.

The Sales Award for pharmacy sales more than $100 million was won by GSK, while Ego won in the category for less than $100 million.

This year the iLearning Group partnered in the Sales Awards, with the company's database used to survey 350 pharmacists and 500 pharmacy assistants as part of the judging process, rating ASMI member companies on six key attributes including quality use of medicine.

Australian generic medicines company Apotex expressed their delight at coming in as runners up to Ego in this latter award, given that this was their first year with their OTC brand ApoHealth which was launched in 2015.

The awards dinner was sponsored by Bayer.