ED treatment campaign from NZ wins global marketing award

Ground-breaking ED treatment campaign from NZ wins global marketing award in Paris

A ground-breaking New Zealand marketing campaign for an erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment which resulted in a 437 percent increase in sales volume in less than six months has been named “The Most Innovative Global OTC (over-the-counter) Marketing Campaign 2015 award sponsored by OTC.Newsflash” in a gala ceremony in Paris, France today.

The campaign by New Zealand’s largest drug manufacturer, Douglas Pharmaceuticals, saw Kiwi men become the first in the world to access the ED treatment known as Silvasta (sildenafil) direct from trained pharmacists without a prescription after Douglas successfully applied to have the product ‘reclassified’ by Medsafe’s Medicines Reclassification Committee last year. Previously, the product had been ‘prescription-only’.

This is the first time a New Zealand company has won a Nicholas Hall OTC Marketing Award – the hotly-contested awards are open to OTC pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

“These awards are regarded as one of the most meaningful accolades in the pharmaceutical industry so we are ‘over-the-moon’ to win with Silvasta. This success would not have been achieved without the support of our regulatory body, Medsafe, and the enthusiastic support of the pharmacy sector,” comments Douglas Pharmaceuticals’ managing director Jeffrey Douglas.

“The reclassification of Silvasta is a world-first and the eyes of the world are upon us and our pharmacists who have responded superbly to this opportunity.”

Since the reclassification in October 2014 around 1500 pharmacists have been trained to dispense Silvasta without prescription and sales volumes of the product have grown 437 percent. The product is only available to adult males (35-70 years old) presenting in person, and following a screening process with a trained pharmacist.

Bernie McKone, the owner of Quins Pharmacy in Gore, says the reclassification provides immense opportunity for pharmacists to engage with men to discuss a range of health issues that may be contributing to ED.

“Often there are underlying issues that have not been addressed by the individual including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Men are often slow to come forward on these important issues, and the reclassification of sildenafil allows us to discuss these issues,” says McKone who runs a Men’s Health programme on the NZME FarmingShow radio programme.

Jeff Douglas says his company applied for reclassification because it believes sildenafil is safe and effective and pharmacists are well qualified to screen men and dispense this medicine. He says ED can affect up to 52 percent of men in NZ over the age of 40 (946,000 men).

“We knew that this move would be welcomed by New Zealand men who would find it easier to walk into a pharmacy without an appointment in an informal setting and seek treatment for ED earlier or be or be appropriately referred to a doctor if the screening process reveals other conditions.”

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