Drug Distribution Legislation
Situation:
A provision of Florida law, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2006, would have made Florida a regulatory island, threatening efficient drug distribution in the state and potentially compromising patient safety. We were engaged by a national drug distributors association to prevent this outcome by supporting the passage of commonsense drug distribution legislation. Countering our efforts was a group funded by companies that stood to benefit financially from the scheduled change in the law, promoting its agenda under the guise of patient safety. Our mission: Build understanding of this complex issue and support for the legislation while debunking the aggressive attempts of opponents to label it soft on drug counterfeiting and a threat to patient safety.
Strategy:
Working closely with the government affairs team, we crafted a strategy to demonstrate why the legislation was needed, how it promoted public safety and how consumers would benefit. We neutralized the opposition by aggressively countering charges they made against the bill and exposing them as a tool of companies that stood to make money if the bill failed to pass. As part of our comprehensive strategy we worked with the primary sponsor of the legislation to craft opinion editorials to educate the public on the issue; crafted effective messages for our point people to use in their communications with lawmakers and the media; developed background papers supporting the legislation; assisted in the creation and promotion of a group of drug distributors, pharmacies and health care providers supporting the legislation; made sure our point of view was included in every major story written about the subject; challenged media on reporting errors; and worked to gain key editorial support.
Outcome:
Through our efforts, the opposition lost credibility and their arguments were muted. The 2006 Legislature passed the bill, and, with language underscoring our position, Gov. Bush signed the measure into law.
