SUMMARY

Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive William Weldon said in an address to PhRMA: "I believe we should start by recognizing that the framework we call ‘DTC advertising’ may inadvertently minimize the importance and power of medicines and their risks. If our industry is to retain the important right to talk directly to consumers, each of our companies in its own way must work to make DTC what it very definitely can be -- a way to educate and counsel consumers in improving their health." To that end, Johnson & Johnson is unveiling a new approach to TV and print campaigns that deals head-on with safety, putting drug risks on more-equal footing with drug benefits.

Pharma Marketing News recently hosted a survey of pharmaceutical professionals to determine what they think of this approach to DTC and whether or not the rest of the pharma industry should follow J&J's lead. The results of this survey are summarized in this article.

Topics discussed include::

• Balance between Promotion and Education
• Is the J&J Approach Right for All DTC?
• Impact on Business