Working with the Pharma Industry for promoting Wellness

The best medium that any pharmaceutical company could adopt to communicate with the patients, who could be benefited by the company’s medicines, is through the doctors.  A patient is always in constant touch with his/her doctor and thus the latter could be considered to be a strong medium through which the final consumers of the companies’ products could be reached.  Various ways of using this medium have been explored in the past which include the likes of arranging dinners for doctors, providing sample medicines, organizing trips, among others.  However, the best and the most relevant thing that a pharmaceutical company could do is to talk and guide people on health and related issues and that is what Dr. Meena Shah’s programme, working with the pharmaceutical industry for promoting wellness, concentrates on.

Under this programme, the client company is guided on methods through which it could reach its target group through the doctors.  These methods could range from circulating Interactive CDs on Wellness and health to Lifestyle related programmes for the doctors to open house health awareness workshops.  By implementing one or all of the methods of health communication from among the options available, the company could fulfill the dual objective of reaching out to the prospective consumers as also positioning itself as a socially conscientious company.

Health Communication Options

1. Continuous Medical Education: Here material on health and wellness related issues is developed and distributed to the doctors.  It could then be used by the doctors for patient guidance or self usage.  The material will be developed specifically for the company and thus customization in the content and presentation could be made possible.   Following are some of the mediums which are used to deliver the content:
   1. Interactive CD ROM
   2. Health Websites
   3. VCD's
   4. Audio CD's
2. Programs for Doctors: Various programmes for learning and refreshment of existing knowledge are conducted by client companies for the doctors.  These programmes are specifically dedicated to training the doctors on:
   1. Mind-Body Medicine and Holistic approach
   2. Lifestyle and stress management in workplace
   3. Other programmes could be developed according to the requirement of the company
3. Open house health awareness workshops: Some workshops on health awareness are kept open to the general public to attend.  These workshops are on general health related topics which could be of interest to people from all walks of life.  Following are the tentative topics on which such open house health awareness workshops are generally conducted:
   1. Positive & Proactive health care
   2. Self Care and Medical Care of common diseases like:
      1. Coronary heart disease
      2. High Blood Pressure
      3. Diabetes
      4. Obesity
      5. Backache
      6. Joint Problems
      7. Stress Management in Workplace
      8. Depression
      9. And many others……
   3. Mind-Body Fitness

CLIENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROGRAMME

• ZYDUS CADILA
• JOHNSON & JOHNSON (INDIA) LTD.
• TORRENT PHARMACEUTICALS
• INTAS PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
• AMUL LTD.
• And the list goes on………

LIST OF VIDEOS/DVDs/CDs CREATED FOR PROMOTING WELLNESS

1. Stree – Practical guide on healthcare for women
2. Healthy Motherhood – Easy Pregnancy & Healthy Baby Care
3. Kahani Dil Ki – Created for Dr. Sameer Dani on Preventive Health, Diagnosis & Treatment of Lifestyle Changes & Rehabilitation in Coronary Artery Disease
4. VCD on Positive Health Options
5. VCD on Pregnancy Care, Labor & Child Care
6. VCD on Pregnancy Care & Child Care
7. VCD on High Blood Pressure
8. VCD on Diabetes
9. VCD on ‘Doxolip’

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