Even before a new pharmaceutical product hits the market, biomedical writers begin to shape perceptions, build advocacy, and expand knowledge about a product in the healthcare community. Beginning in the pre-marketing phase (the period of time when a drug is being tested in clinical trials) through the post-launch and beyond phases, healthcare professional must be informed about a product so that they will prescribe it to their patients.

Because healthcare professionals are engaged in treating patients, they usually do not have time to write about drugs, even though they might have helped to test these drugs in clinical trials. Pharmaceutical companies may have an abundance of data from clinical trials that were used to support marketing applications required by government regulatory agencies. However, the pharmaceutical companies do not always have the resources to publish the data in medical journals. Biomedical writers are sometimes employed to ghostwrite journal articles that can be published.

To effectively market a product to healthcare professionals, published papers about the product and the need it fulfills must be written. Prior to marketing a new product, journal articles that review a specific disease state and the therapies that are available must be written and published. These articles raise awareness of the need for the new product. Next, articles that describe the results of clinical trials must be written and published. These articles make the medical community aware of the forthcoming drug and its safety and efficacy. As the drug comes to market, published comparative studies help healthcare professionals choose between the new product and other products. After being on the market, publication of case reports, post-marketing safety studies, and additional review articles aid in establishing the profile and credibility of the product.

Journal publications like those described above are just one example of the myriad of ways to market a product to healthcare professionals. Other techniques used for marketing to healthcare professionals include:

• Scientific symposia and meetings
• Internet programs
• Product monographs
• Videos and multimedia

Consumer advertising

Just like healthcare professionals, the general public must be made aware of new healthcare products and services. After consumers are educated about a product or service, they are more likely to buy it. For instance, biomedical writers compose the copy for advertisements of a new drug. These advertisements might be print ads for magazines. The ads remind consumers to ask their physicians about whether the drug is right for them. The consumer who needs this drug will see the advertisement and ask their doctor about the drug.

Due to decreasing restrictions on prescription drug advertising, especially for television, biomedical writers are increasingly in demand to write copy for these ads. Biomedical writers could be employed to write the scripts for television and radio advertisement of new drugs. Additionally, the Internet is becoming more and more popular as a venue for consumer healthcare advertising.

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