March 24, 2022 – By Jay Carter, EVP/Director of Business Development, AbelsonTaylor

In remarks I made recently at the 2022 Medical Advertising Hall of Fame gala, I asked the following questions, which I think are especially applicable here:

• Do you work on communications to consumers or patients regularly?
• Do you work on digital initiatives as a big part of your role?
• Do you want to keep working in our industry?

Well, if you answered with even one “yes,” what I’m about to share with you is important. In my mind, the Coalition for Healthcare Communication is critical to the ongoing health of our industry.

We’re all governed by laws and regulations, but the problem is, sometimes those rules are less well thought out than others. In the past several years, the Coalition has been instrumental in pointing out when lawmakers might be encroaching into areas where they might potentially harm us.

For instance, there is longstanding sentiment on Capitol Hill that direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is bad, and there have been several attempts to curtail it by eliminating a tax deduction for pharma promotion. This would affect not just DTC advertising, but ALL promotion. That could severely harm, or even kill, our industry. The CHC actively advocates against such actions and works to communicate the value of the work we do.

That’s why your organization’s membership in the Coalition is critical. If you’re not a member, I’d love to talk.

-This “Coalition Speaks” column appeared in the March 11 issue of SmartBrief for Health Care Marketers. Jay Carter is EVP/Director of Business Development, AbelsonTaylor, and Chair of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication’s Board of Directors