Pharma Ads Target Smartphone Users in Waiting Rooms

FiercePharma reports that patients in doctor’s office waiting rooms who use the office Wi-Fi network may now receive targeted pharmaceutical ads on their smartphones. Semcasting, Inc., a Massachusetts-based data provider, uses a technology called Smart Zones that can deliver messages to the entire audience at a business’s IP address.

The digital ad delivery is far more efficient and less costly than setting up physical displays in offices or hospitals. Semcasting’s new campaign, for a cholesterol-lowering drug, kicks off this week in thousands of cardiologists’ offices. Prior campaigns have generally resulted in large sales increases for the products advertised.

The company complies with HIPAA privacy requirements by asking patients to opt in to receive ads and by compiling and sharing only de-identified patient data.