The 80 ' s MCO considerations, and as such, agencies have continued developing understanding and skills in how to sell Rx drugs to this class of customer. As the world adopts the managed care model this knowledge and experience is likely to be in demand. Direct-to- consumer A dvertising Coincidentally with the movement toward a smaller audience of decision makers on prescription drugs—formulary managers of MCOs—an entirely contrary development has greatly expanded communications on Rx products. This trend is advertising to the public—direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising—which has changed the industry's outlook from exclusive concentration on professional audiences to inclusion of mass audiences of millions of consumers. Experiments in DTC began in the early 1980's when the English company Boots Pharmaceuticals, which had licensed Motrin in this country to Upjohn, decided to compete against tliis highly successful anti-arthritic with its own brand of the product, Rufen. Its approach was a price comparison. The TV and print ads that ran in a test market in 1983 provoked a storm of criticism, comment, and prompt action by the FDA. Brand name advertising of prescription drugs to the public was not prohibited by the government regulation of the industry. It had never been addressed since the conventions of prescription drug advertising had, for more than 60 years, viewed such practices as unethical for the "etliical drug" industry. Merck had run pneumonia vaccine advertising in Readers Digest and other publications in 1981 but this was seen as a special, public health situation. The first DTC ad appeared in Readers Digest in 1981. Cuent: Merck. Agency: Kallir, Philips, Ross. AD: John Geryak. Copy: Dick Grossman. 50 orOver? You may need protection against a serious health hazard. A health hazard for those over 50— pneumococcal pneumonia Pneumococcal pneumonia is a year-round -------------- if 50. disease When it does stnkc those with chronic ailments, treatment tends to be more difficult, the recuperation period can be pro*>nged-and there is a greater risk of complications and evendeath. Vaccination with PNEUMOVAX* (Pneumococcal Vaccine. Polyvalent: MSD) PNEUMOVAX helps protect against the most common causes ol pneumococcal pneumonia in the United States. PNEUMOVAX is not a cure or a treatment. but rather a vaccination to help prevent the disease. Ask your doctor Be sure to ask your doctor about PNEUMOVAX on your next vistt Pneumococcal pneumonia n a completely difteront disease than the "flu" Nevertheless, many persons who receive "tlu shots" are also candidates for vaco nat©n with PNEUMOVAX. If you are given PNEUMOVAX. you will not need to be rcvaccmated for at least Medicare coverage for PNEUMOVAX Both the reasonable cost of the vaccine and its administration are nownhmburs able throughMedicare. However, the amount of reimbursement may vaiy from locality to locality and may be less than MSD A message from Merck Sharp & Dohme— oohme leader in vaccine research Tear out this coupon and show it to your physician. Polyvalent. MSO). crdobatevr2)pefsoovnchron<care <31personsccrrrjlescngfromseverea v j v . Speculcons-Ser.tksns ASWlTHMOSTWCCINATIONS. certanadverse ady. lowgrad* f (kv thanlOOrf ) « Whenitdcev itusuatyl**t* no mot* 74howslotomry thevaccr-aton. in rare cases. Ihtreh*«« beenreportsOf few* P*r t02'f More senouslong l i l t * * reactions andsenous *ySwdOCtcrTn^sVufsoeojl CJnfmust 5* selecting pj" en:S»hOShcr/drpenvethev*e one for example. womenwhoare pregnant shouldnot b* vaccinated, because the posutfe nlendedforpersonswhoor*jVrg< to*ryof itscomponents. (OrcMCrenlet * * eraduton Otherfactors«tv<hmaypr* •respulorytines* with(everor Avalatte mfcrmatenmdcales that revacona t>snoekye t-«* (earsisunnecessaryardmay. n (act. causamore Ireguenl andseverelocii reac TMmessagedoesnet wOwSecn mahonregardnj pneumococcal pr thevacrne Theretcre. youmouldcorvsot * doctor fee furtner details Coord" o « Co.* 73
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