Media - News Release and Sample Media Advisory

NOTE: An advisory outlines an event and is usually sent one week prior to alert the media and, hopefully, encourage them to attend. The following sample is for a "medicine cabinet clean-up" event. Whatever your event, simply substitute your particulars as to "what" your event is, "who" is putting it on, "where" it will be held and "why" you are holding it.

Pharmacists hold Medicine Cabinet Clean-up

What: A Medicine Cabinet Clean-up is at the centre of Pharmacy Awareness Week (March 5-11, 2001). Pharmacists from (drug store/community association/provincial association--whatever level you choose to organize the program) are asking the public to bring all their unused medications, both prescription and nonprescription, in for disposal.

(If you are doing a brown-bag review add the following (also include it in the title):

Pharmacists will be available to meet with people one-on-one to review the medications to look for, and dispose of, expired medications, as well as to assess whether or not you have medications on hand which, if taken together, could cause serious side effects. Pharmacists will also provide important information on the safe and proper storage of your medications.)

Who: (Your name, or the name of the organization sponsoring the event)

Where: (Where the event will take place)

When: (Day, date and time of the event)

Why: Canadian retail pharmacies dispensed 235 million prescriptions in 1996*. That's about nine prescriptions for every man, woman and child and a 28% increase over the number of prescriptions filled in 1985. 50 percent of Canadians used a nonprescription drug in the past week and 40% used a prescription drug.** A recent review estimates that 50% of people do not take their prescription medications exactly as prescribed, at an estimated cost to Canada's health care system of $7 to $9 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. It has been estimated that each year, drug noncompliance is the cause of 10% of all hospital admissions, up to 25% of hospital admissions for the elderly and 23% of all nursing home admissions. It is estimated that at least 200,000 illnesses every year among people over 65 are attributed to reactions from drugs.

Pharmacy Awareness Week 2001 theme:

Pharmacists Care, No Matter Where

For more information, contact: (include contact information: name, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address. Got a web site? Add it too!)

Sources:

* Intercontinental Medical Statistics of Canada

** The AltiMed CFP Report on Pharmacy Services 1997