Karting for Charity 2008 - New Venue
Pharmacists deliver massive vote of confidence in trade press
The survey reveals that 38% of pharmacists find trade magazines such as Pharmacy Magazine, C+D and the Pharmaceutical Journal are ‘very useful’ and that 60% find them ‘useful’.
Only 2% say these magazines are ‘not at all useful’. 50% of respondents said pharmaceutical advertisements help to keep them up to date on new products, and 27% said advertisements helped them decide which brands to stock.
The increasing importance of the Internet is confirmed by the finding that 78% of respondents use the Internet during working hours, and more than a third use pharmacy trade magazine-related websites: while print scores highly for news and business information, websites are preferred for continuing professional education and clinical information.
When asked their preferred methods of communication from the pharmaceutical industry, journal advertising came out top and email scored worst.
Source: Postal survey of 500 community pharmacists conducted by Precision Healthcare Research on behalf of Gem Associates, between 20 July and 29 July 2008. 120 responses were received by the closing date, a response rate of 24%.
Source: Postal survey of 500 community pharmacists conducted by Precision Healthcare Research on behalf of Gem Associates, between 20 July and 29 July 2008. 120 responses were received by the closing date, a response rate of 24%.
Weeklies’ readership dips
The BMJ has emerged as the undisputed leader among weekly titles aimed at senior hospital doctors, 16% clear of its nearest rival, according to the latest Hospital Readership Survey.
Despite the closure of Hospital Doctor, readership of the surviving weeklies is down slightly on previous years, and the BMJ’s score has dipped from 69% to 64%. Readership of the specialist journals has increased slightly in the same period, with a top average issue readership within specialty of 85% (British Journal of Dermatology) and many journals achieving AIRs of 50%+.
BMJ: best read weekly and BJD: best AIR ‘within specialty’
More doctors (93%) find printed medical journals a useful source of information than any other source, but the survey also reveals the growing importance of the Internet in doctors’ work. The Internet is now described as ‘very useful’ by 64% of hospital doctors, compared with 49% a year ago. Almost 9 out of 10 senior grade doctors (87%) say the Internet is useful, whereas only 4 out of 10 find pharma company reps ‘useful’. One of the main reasons for using the Internet is to access medical journal websites – which suggests that medical journals in print and online may be complementary rather than competitive. Virtually all hospital doctors now use the Internet regularly (other than for email) and more than a third use it every day.
Internet usage
- 54% – to source specific journal article
- 52% – email newsletters
- 48% – access medical websites
- 45% – browse journals
- 42% – education, training & development
- 37% – drug information
The postal survey is now in its 4th year. It gives an overview of how well competing titles perform within specialist areas as well as against more broadly based titles. It continues to be an important tool for evaluating media schedules. The respondents (3,316) are a representative sample of consultants, associate specialists and staff grade doctors across 28 specialties.
Survey reveals popular Irish weekly
In an ironic twist, Medicine Weekly has emerged as the most popular title of the weekly medical press in Ireland according to a survey of GPs, consultants and hospital doctors, just weeks after the title closed. A readership survey funded by Medicine Weekly’s publisher, Eireann Healthcare Publications, found that 90% of health professionals read Medicine Weekly almost always, quite often or occasionally compared with 78% for the Irish Medical Times and 73% for Irish Medical News. But the results came out too late to save the journal, which had been struggling to remain solvent.
Medicine Weekly also topped the poll for average issue readership, at 47%, with Irish Medical Times a close second (45%) and Irish Medical News third (36%). However, among GPs and consultants, Irish Medical Times was the preferred medical newspaper (52% and 40%,respectively).
Publisher Chris Goodey blamed the title’s difficulties on the declining market for Rx advertising, which has come under considerable pressure of late as a consequence of a range of factors including parallel imports; price reductions; and an increasing focus on specialist products at the expense of those in primary care, coinciding with increased pressures on doctors’ time.
Eireann Healthcare Publications is currently investigating two options, including relaunching the title to subscribers only, or launching an alternative, monthly medical news review.
The survey
The readership survey, the first of its kind in Ireland, was conducted by The Smurfit Business School, part of University College Dublin. It was originally intended to share the costs of the research between the three publishers of the Irish weekly titles, but in the end the whole tab was picked up by Eireann Healthcare Publications. To maintain confidence in its findings, the research was overseen by a committee of senior pharma industry personnel, from GSK, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck and Nycomed.
Face-to-face interviews conducted among 184 medical professionals at hospitals and GP practices in Dublin and Cork, and at two medical conferences in Dublin.
Key findings
Average issue readership
Preferred medical newspaper by classification of respondent
The survey found that 89% of respondents preferred print to online news, more than half of whom find print more convenient. The 5% of those who prefer online do so because it’s more up to date and it is ‘searchable’
About half prefer to receive medical newspapers at work, 39% at home and a minority prefer electronic versions (8%) or delivery by sales reps (2%).
News, followed by clinical, are the most popular sections of the medical press.
How doctors read thepapers
|
|
Cover to cover |
Most of it |
About half |
Less than half |
|
Irish Medical News |
4% |
12% |
30% |
54% |
|
Medicine Weekly |
7% |
13% |
28% |
52% |
|
Irish Medical Times |
7% |
22% |
24% |
47% |
Warning on email promos
The ABPI has warned pharma companies to scrutinise agreements between ‘third parties’ and the healthcare professionals who sign up to receive emails, following a spate of complaints from doctors about emails containing unsolicited promotional materials.
Most of the UK publishers now offer ‘email alerts’ to their readers and are actively selling these as a vehicle for promotional activity. But the ABPI’s Code of Practice Authority, the PMCPA, warns that it is against the Code to send promotional emails to HCPs without their express permission
Companies must:
· Scrutinise the wording of the agreement, whichmust make it ‘abundantly clear’ that the agreement will result in the receipt of promotional emails
· Keep a copy of the agreement in the job bag relating to the particular promotion
· Remember that they are responsible for the activities of third parties
The PMCPA warns that ‘lack of clarity’ in such agreements is likely to lead to a breach of the code.
Interim JICMARs put BMJ-GP in poll position
The latest readership scores reveal the BMJ General Practice's six-monthly readership score stands at 70% and is now number one in the market, a first for the BMJ.
The JICMARS interim report show that in the 6 months ending May 2008, BMJ-GP managed to top PULSE by a clear percentage point(even small wins are considered important in this cut-throat business!).
The
BMJ’s 12 month readership score now stands at 70%, the highest ever
readership score for BMJ-GP, but PULSE holds on to its lead with 71%,
down from 74% when the February readership scores werereleased.
GP, which changed its circulation to requested copies only from 1 June 2008, has gained 3% since the last JICMARS survey but has slipped slightly in the 12-month ratings, from 69% to 68%. GP has also announced that to date, 26,816 GPs have personally registered to receive GP. Around 80% ofthese have opted to receive their copy at home, rather than at the surgery, but publisher Haymarket has taken the decision to send one extra copy to all 10,000-odd UK-based surgeries to increase pass-on readership.
More than 23,000 GPs have signed up to receive MIMS, although this title will also continue to be sent to every non-registered GP each month. In addition, MIMS has over 5,600 paying subscribers – the majority of who are hospital or community pharmacists. MIMS tops the 6-monthly and 12-monthly readership figures for monthly titles, at 60%, bucking the general downward trend afflicting The Practitioner (35%), Guidelines in Practice (20%) and GM (17%). Prescriber, the only GP fortnightly, is hovering around the 25% mark.
Karting for Charity 2008
Karting for Charity 2008 event announced.
Friday 26th September 2008 at a new venue, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey.
In support of London's Air Ambulance, the capital's helicopter emergency service now in its 20th Year.
Click here to see full details and download your team applications forms.
GP makes bold circulation move
‘Use it or lose it’ gamble appears to be paying off
Haymarket’s ploy to move GP and MIMS to registered circulations has resulted in around two-thirds of the GP ‘universe’ signing up to receive both publications.
So far more than 27,500 GPs have opted to receive GP newspaper (66%), and nearly 26,000 have registered to receive MIMS (62%). According to the latest JICMARS data, 62% of GPs read GP every week, and 56% refer to MIMS.*
From 1 June, only GPs who have registered will receive both titles, although one copy of each will continue to be sent to each practice which does not have at least one registered reader. The move will reduce the costs and waste associated with distributing the publications to GPs who don’t read them.
The registration drive means that Haymarket also holds a full dataset on these GPs, including accurate email addresses and up-to-date information on their individual clinical interests. This means that it will now be possible to target readers more precisely, particularly when combining traditional print advertising either with on-line activities, including email alerts, e-detailing, webcasts, or with medical education projects.
Advertising rates will remain the same because the actual readership is not predicted to decline but gem will be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that Haymarket is delivering what it promises.
*26,201 (62%) GPs read GP every week, and 23,290 (56%) refer to MIMS (National Medical Readership Survey, average issue readership, March 07 – February 08).
ABPI updates Code - includes new Online guidance
Code changes effective from July...
Changes to the ABPI Code of Practice that come into effect on 1 July mean all advertising creative will have to be amended to carry new, stronger wording about adverse effect reporting.
The current wording will change to ‘Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.yellowcard.gov.uk. Adverse events should also be reported to [relevant pharmaceutical company]’.
Companies will have a period of grace until 31 October to implement the change but the new wording should be introduced as soon as possible, and must be used on new materials issued on or after 1 November. Companies will not be deemed in breach of the Code before then if promotional materials or activities do not comply with provisions introduced in the 2008 edition.
|
New text Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.yellowcard.gov.uk. Adverse events should also be reported to [relevant pharmaceutical company]’. |
|
Old text Information about adverse event reporting can be found at www.yellowcard.gov.uk Adverse events should also be reported to [relevant pharmaceutical company] |
The 2008 Code also clarifies the position regarding on-line activity. Currently some companies are nervous about using the Internet for promotional activity, because they fear patients will access information intended for healthcare professionals, but the new edition of the code makes it clear that this need not be a barrier, provided the information is factual, balanced and does not encourage members of the public to ask their doctor to prescribe a specific product. Unrestricted websites should continue to provide clearly identified information for each audience, so members of the public should not need to access information intended for HCPs unless they choose to do so.
The new Code aims to ensure greater transparency in the relationships between pharma companies and patient groups, and with health professionals. Companies will have to declare financial and indirect support for patient organisations, can no longer demand sole funding, and must have written agreements for every significant activity or ongoing relationship. Companies must also have contracts of employment for health professionals who act on their behalf as consultants.
Other changes include:
· Inserts, whether loose or bound in, count towards the permitted two pages of advertising. An insert printed on both sides counts as two pages.
· Certification of promotional materials can now be paperless – electronic copies of certificates, and the final form of materials, are now acceptable.
· Companies must disclose details of clinical trials – but this must be limited to factual and non-promotional information.
The full text of amendments is available at: www.pmcpa.org.uk
