Pharmaceutical patient education: balancing information and promotion

Pharmaceutical companies invest between $50,000 and $30.0 million in patient education programs for their drugs, according to a new report from Cutting Edge Information. The study, which examines 20 different patient education programs from across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, also concludes that industry investment in education and direct-to-patient communications is on the rise.

The challenge, says Cutting Edge, lies in striking a balance between branded and unbranded content as companies strive to provide unbiased information without sacrificing commercial goals.

Education campaigns increase awareness for diseases, improve consumers' health literacy and make people aware of treatment options. With an emphasis on unbiased, informative communication, the most effective education programs help consumers make informed decisions about their own health care.