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As a public relations professional, you'll be called upon frequently to be the spokesperson for your organization, or to prepare others for that role. This means that you'll be the first contact for

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

members of the media, and that your words will be repeated in print, on the web, on the radio and on TV. While most media training programs cover interviewing techniques, it is not uncommon for an

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

ut-of-practice professional to be caught off guard by a journalist's line of questioning. For this reason it is essential that you continue to practice the skills learned during media training so yo

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

will be well-prepared when the media call.

By following these nine steps, you'll not only get great press coverage for your company, you'll also endear yourself to the reporter and increase the li

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

elihood that you'll be contacted for comment for future stories. In a survey we did of over 1,000 reporters, over half preferred to interview spokespersons who had received media training. "The

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

know what we need and understand deadlines," was a frequent comment.

Be prepared. Put together a list of talking points prior to the interview.

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

t's wise that you prepare a document like this anytime you have a new development within your company such as the opening of a new office or the introduction of a new product. A

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

ist of talking points can also be distributed to your company's management team so that everyone is on the same page come press time.

Know your message.
nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically
>What do you want your audience to know? You'll have a limited amount of time to get your message across, so it's essential that you know exactly what you want to say. Are you tr
and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ
ing to promote your company's new partnership with a local non-profit? Do you want to talk up the credentials of your organization's new CEO? Get your message straight bef
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi
re the interview starts.

Know what you want. What is the ultimate goal of giving this interview? What do you hope to accomplish? Whom do you hope

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

o reach?
Be positive. Never say anything negative about a competing company, a public official, or a former employee. Make every effort to present

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

a company crisis or problem in a positive light, focusing on what you've learned and how you're working to make it right, not on what went wrong or who is to blame.
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
trong>Know the reporter's audience. Just as you should know what your own goals are in giving an interview, you should know the goals of the reporter interviewing you. Who
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
is the reporter's audience? Exactly who will your comments reach? And what message is the reporter planning to convey?
Speak to the audience's interes

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

s. Learning as much as you can about the story's audience will help you to adapt your own message to fit their interests. Talk about how your organization's products, services, or

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

ideas benefit the reader or viewer.
Understand the needs of the reporter. Talk to the reporter about what he or she needs. What deadline is in

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

place? How soon will he or she need information from you? If you can make the reporter's job easier, you'll quickly make an ally.
Encourage the reporter t

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

follow up. Give him or her your cell phone or pager number and emphasize that you will be happy to answer any additional questions or to help them with any extra information

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

they might need.
Follow up with a thank you note or email. Reporters are human; they appreciate getting thanks as much as the rest of us.

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Just Other Articles - Media Training: Interview Success in 9 Steps

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