Drug Topics - October 8, 2007 - (Page 26)

26 DRUG TOPICS OCTOBER 8, 2007 www.drugtopics.com Cover Story DT CAPSULE AMP changes advocated by NACDS and other pharmacy Pharmacists should groups. “You can infer a lot about what NACDS will be doing explain their from what Steve did at the Nacontributions to the tional Restaurant Association,” public and to policy said Christopher Krese, NACDS senior VP for marketing, commakers, not to other munications, and media relations. “We intend to create an environment within D.C. that pharmacists. is conducive to community pharmacy’s agenda. Community pharmacy has a great story to tell, and we intend to market it very aggressively.” NACDS is launching an image campaign around the first of the year, Krese said. The primary targets are members of Congress and their staffers, the White House, Washington media, and opinion leaders inside the Beltway. Look for paid advertising, public rela- tions, intensive lobbying, and a visible presence in the 2008 Presidential campaign. “Aside from the war in Iraq, health care is at the top of the agenda,” Krese explained. “Pharmacy needs to be part of the discussion. We have a fantastic partnership with NCPA that we anticipate absolutely will continue. We are looking to leverage partnerships.” So is FMI. Hammonds noted that success in the legislative and regulatory arenas comes to those with longrange strategies and broad coalitions. “Our approach is to fight battles as they arise but not to lose sight of the war,” he explained. “AMP is a battle that we have to fight effectively. The war is the attempt by government to minimize cost. They want to drive everybody to mail order and put strict limits on services. Our message is that pharmacists are more than mechanical robots in the back. They answer questions, give advice, and provide clinical services that can’t be provided by anyone else. Pharmacists are extremely valuable in ways that other channels cannot duplicate. We want to make sure that those who make the decisions know it.” DT Talk like a pro T he American Pharmacists Association and most other national pharmacy groups offer media training to members who are willing to talk to reporters. Media training gives pharmacists some of the professional skills that help them answer reporters’ questions more effectively, said Erica Jefferson, APhA’s external communications manager and chief media trainer. “An interview is not a conversation,” she explained. “It’s an opportunity to get your message across to a broad audience. To communicate effectively, you have to manage the interview process and manage the interview content.” Here are Jefferson’s top tips for managing media interviews. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Keep every interview to three ideas or concepts. Most people, reporters included, can remember three points if each point is repeated at least three times. Add a fourth point, and something might get lost. Use language your audience understands. Most news outlets write to an eighth-grade level, so choose vocabulary and sentence structure accordingly. Put your message into quick sound bites for video/radio/podcast use and short, pithy sentences for print reporters. The more concise and quotable your message, the more likely it is to be used without being edited or garbled. Be ready with anecdotes and stories. Real-life examples help reporters bring issues alive. Talk to the audience, not the reporter. The reporter asking questions is only a messenger. Your real audience is made up of that reporter’s readers, viewers, and listeners. Repeat your key messages. No matter how much you may have covered, always bring the interview back to your key messages and end with a strong statement. If your program, organization, or message has a call to action, something you want the audience to do, tell them clearly and frequently. Your final message should always be “Talk to your pharmacist.” That reminds the audience—and the reporter—that pharmacists are key information sources. http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - October 8, 2007 Latebreakers Latebreakers in Depth Letters Rx Care Community Practice JP at Large 150 Years of American Pharmacy Hospital Practice Are You Getting Pharmacy's Message Across? Self-Care Government and Law Legal Q&A The Pharmacist as First Responder in Disaster Relief Technology Update New Products Advertisers Index Statement of Ownership Classified Viewpoint

Drug Topics - October 8, 2007

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