ASMI floats new S3 ads
November 12, 2015
The Australian Self-Medication
Industry 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.
The mock advertisement can
be viewed on the PD website at
pharmacydaily.com.au/videos.
MEANWHILE the annual ASMI
conference wrapped up last night
with a gala awards dinner.
The ASMI Diamond Awards,
celebrating best practice in the
non-prescription medicines
sector, were presented across
ten categories, while Johnson &
Johnson and Ego Pharmaceuticals
won QUM Sales Awards which are
conferred on firms that excel in
“promoting QUM in pharmacy”.
Novartis/GSK Consumer
Healthcare won the Judges Choice
for QUM Award for its Voltaren
Osteo Gel 12 hour campaign, while
other winners included Pfizer
Consumer Healthcare for its ‘My
Pharmacy Rules’ training program.
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