Healthcare Public Relations is an essential part of the overall marketing strategy. Its role is to inform and influence individuals and groups to bring about a desired change in attitude or behaviour. This article relates to healthcare and pharmaceutical public relations, its protagonists and general information regarding how companies, and in particular, Public Relations agencies work with the pharmaceutical industry. Hopefully with will provide some insight into the healthcare public relations arena for those considering it as a career.

Generally pharmaceutical companies have their own public relations staff in-house but they are often assisted and supported by Public Relations Agencies / Medical Communications Agencies, providing services in a number of areas. Public Relations can be practised on many levels, from enhancing reputations at the company level, or corporate PR, to preparing the market for the introduction of a new drug or treatment, product PR.

Working within a PR or Medical Communications Agency you will develop some key and long lasting relationships. You will need to develop contacts with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) within particular therapy areas or indications as 3rd party endorsement by a trusted source can reassure a sceptical audience. You might also become involved with lobbying or advocacy requiring you to nurture contacts in the government and public sector. Read more…

Recently, Fu Pinghong, the head of Health Center in Gaoting Town Daishan County was sentenced an imprisonment of 11 years and confiscated his property of 50,000 Yuan after the first instance for his corruption, bribery and the combination of the two by Intermediate People’s Court in Zhoushan Zhejiang province. What was conspicuous is that his expense of 440,000 Yuan for recreation has been regarded as corruption.

It has long been the controversy that whether the recreational activities with public fund should be incriminated. It is usually considered disciplinary offence without prosecution. As a result, it has no deterrent effect and even leads to the illusion that “It doesn’t matter since I don’t corrupt or bribe”; “It is Okay as long as I don’t pocket the money”. It objectively affected the ban of recreational activities with public fund. In this sense, it is the deed which breaks the deadlock when Fu Pinghong was sentenced for his corruption by Intermediate People’s Court in Zhoushan Zhejiang province.

Regarding to the above issue, I believe that most us have noted it, thus it was not strange for us to accept it. Actually, even though the Intermediate People’s Court in Zhoushan Zhejiang province has implemented the punishment to the party, it seemed that the people would be highly gratified to see us vigorously combat crime. Indeed, we just touched one angle of the iceberg, the government organization cadres still cheated the citizen under the cloak of serving the people heart and soul, interposed their authority for eating and drinking extravagantly. Read more…