Top-line Evaluation of Ask About Medicines Week 2005

The PR toolkit helped local partnersto achieve success in the media…

A high proportion of regional news releases included Ask About Medicines Questions

Regional Hotspots gave partners extra support to make a splash in their local media (1)

South Somerset PCT

Regional Hotspots gave partners extra support to make a splash in their local media (2)

Suffolk PCT

Regional Hotspots gave partners extra support to make a splash in their local media (3)

Trafford PCT

Regional Hotspots gave partners extra support to make a splash in their local media (4)

Shepway PCT

Big kick off to the week…

Over 9 million readers

Big splash at start of week in national media … (1)

Metro: Over 1 million readers

Guardian online:

Up to 1 million hits per day

Big splash at start of week in national media … (2)

…and later in the week

Regional radio interviews and press took the message wider…

Birmingham Post

Shropshire Star

Gloucestershire Citizen

Bury Times

Partners (voluntary groups) were very active in promoting AAMW (1)

Partners (voluntary groups) were very active in promoting AAMW (2)

Partners (voluntary groups) were very active in promoting AAMW (3)

Health professionals were alerted through a variety of publications

The website was a key communication vehicle

• A total of 165,000 page views were accessed during 2005• Visits to the website increased to a peak in October• 10,264 page views accessed in the week prior to the campaign• 8,982 page views accessed during the week itself

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A range of materials were used to supportlocal campaigns

Toolkits to support planning• Action packs• PR Toolkit supported by MSD

Materials• AAM posters supported by Pfizer (21,000 distributed)• Ask fold out medicine reminder charts (890,000 distributed)• Focus on Your Medicines leaflets (62,000 distributed)• Focus on Your Health – Epilepsy leaflets (51,000 distributed)• Ask About Sexual Health leaflets supported by the RPSGB (100,000 distributed) • Ask About Your Cancer Medicines Leaflet supported by Roche & CancerBACUP

(distribution quantities tbc) • Ask About Your Lung Cancer Medicines Roche & CancerBACUP (distribution

quantities tbc) • Getting to Know Your Pharmacist - Learning disability leaflet supported by AAH

(80,000 distributed)• Health and Medicines Information Guide and Directory supported by the ABPI (on-line

version and 20,000 Guides currently being distributed)

“The Ask About Medicines team is delighted with how this year’s campaign has gone. The enthusiasm and commitment of our partners from all sectors demonstrates once again how important these messages are for patients, carers and the public. We are already planning a range of activities and materials to bring Ask About Medicines to people throughout next year, and look forward to working with you to make it happen in 2006.”

Joanne Shaw, Chair AAM