Most PR practitioners know the Code of Professional Standards upheld by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
In it, PRSA declares its commitment to the free exercise of human rights, especially freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. Protecting these rights is essential to the practice of public relations.
For this reason, I wanted to take the opportunity to inform all those reading this column about The Coalition for Healthcare Communication, a group dedicated to protecting freedom of speech within the healthcare industry.
Through the coalition we will benefit by becoming aware of and more involved in this group's activities.
The Coalition was formed in 1991 to defend the right of the American people to receive truthful information about pharmaceuticals and medical products, as safeguarded by the Constitution.
The group represents organizations dedicated to assuring the free exchange of scientific information without undue government interference. Members include the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Association of Medical Publications, Healthcare Business-women's Association, Healthcare Marketing Communications Council, Medical Marketing Association and the PRSA, among others.
Take a look at some of the important freedom of speech issues the Coalition has been championing over the past several years.
Off-Label Information
The coalition supports the right of companies to distribute truthful, scientific information about the products they produce, providing the information is balanced, objective, independently produced and scientifically rigorous.
Toward this end, the coalition supported the Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) suit against the FDA, which wanted pharmaceutical companies and their agencies to stop distributing journal article reprints and textbooks. When the WLF petitioned the FDA to cease its attempts to regulate continuing medical education, the coalition aided this effort. The group provided financial support, rounded up expert opinion and uncovered case histories that could be used to document the case against the FDA.
Ultimately, Federal District Court Judge Royce Lambeth handed down a verdict that is undeniably a victory and will help all of us involved in publishing, advertising, marketing and public relations. The judge determined that the restrictions were a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Now a pharmaceutical company can distribute a reprint of an unabridged article from an independent peer-reviewed journal discussing off-label information about an approved drug as long as it is not false or misleading, the company's interest is disclosed, and it states that the FDA has not approved the indication discussed.
Video News Releases
One of the reasons the coalition was established nearly a decade ago was to petition actions taken by the FDA Commissioner David Kessler, back then, to regulate the production and dissemination of video news releases (VNRs).
Besides notifying PR agencies that guidelines for the dissemination of VNRs were being considered, the coalition held a briefing to review the guidelines for promotion, which were already in place for advertising.
Ultimately, the FDA did not pass any new rulings. Instead, it declared that public relations were an extension of product labeling. PR professionals and advertisers had to adhere to the package insert when making claims to the media on behalf of their pharmaceutical clients. The coalition continued to keep the PR industry informed of these guidelines with regular mailings and conferences.
Regulating the Internet
New FDA regulations on use of the Internet have been promised this year. The coalition feels that existing regulations on broadcast media are adequate, but has offered a backup proposal should the FDA deem further clarification necessary. The coalition will take a strong position against unfair restriction on this growing and influential medium. The impact of public relations within the health-care industry is undeniable.
It is to all of our benefits that there are people and groups actively involved with keeping every voice within the industry heard, and heard fairly. If you would like more information about The Coalition for Healthcare Communication, you can contact Jack Angel, executive director, at 203/661-3314. The coalition supports the right of companies to distribute truthful, scientific information about the products they produce, providing the information is balanced, objective, independently produced and scientifically rigorous.
Ilyssa Levins is chairman and chief creative officer of GCI Healthcare in New York, a global full-service healthcare agency.
She is responsible for global new business development, new ventures and acquisitions and worldwide marketing.
She can be reached at 212/886-3500.