The development of a Community Service Announcement to raise awareness of the Home Medicines Review health service program

Abstract

Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) conducted by credentialed pharmacists in response to referrals from medical practitioners are funded by the Australian government to improve the quality use of medicines. In late 2023, a grassroots group of credentialed pharmacists created a Community Service Announcement (CSA) to raise consumer awareness of the HMR program. Community Service Announcements are allocated airtime by mainstream media (e.g. television and radio stations) for promoting messaging in the public interest, such as health services. The HMR awareness CSA was funded by 250 donors through a GoFundMe campaign. Two days of filming with pharmacists, doctors and patients across three rural and regional areas resulted in a 28-s video and corresponding radio sound bites. The CSA aired on major national Australian broadcast networks with coverage during both on-peak and off-peak times across all states and territories. The total value of the television advertising was estimated at AUD1.65 million. Radio messages were aired 36 times over a week on stations nationwide, reaching an estimated 1,911,300 listeners, approximately 8% of the Australian population. This CSA campaign illustrated the potential of health professional initiatives to raise awareness of government health programs. By leveraging crowdfunding and community support, this activity demonstrated a model for other health professionals seeking to promote similar health promotion and awareness initiatives.