Concept Testing for Online Pharmacy Communications Campaign

U .S. Food and Drug Administration

OMB No. 0910-0677

Expires July 31, 2012

Online Pharmacies: Focus Groups for Concept Testing

Moderator’s Guide

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Intro [5-10 minutes for Intro through Disclosures]	Good Afternoon. My name is XXX and I’m the moderator for today’s 90 minute group discussion. This is my colleague XX, who will be observing and taking notes for us today. I am very pleased you could join us today. Thank you for fitting this session into your schedule. You’re here today to take part in a focus group. It’s a discussion to find out your opinions – like a survey, but with broad, general questions. We’ve asked you to be in this discussion to get your feedback on some materials that we will be developing related to your health and the health of others in your family and community. Over the course of our discussion today I will show you a few draft ideas that might appear on [website, TV, etc.]. After I show you each one, I will ask you a few questions to get your reactions. Based on what you tell us, the creative team will move forward with refining these ideas and eventually turning them into finished products. I personally had no part in designing the material, so feel free to tell me what you really think of them. All of your comments – whether positive or negative are welcome.
Moderator Information:	We work for Booz Allen Hamilton, a government contractor based in McLean, Virginia in the Washington, DC area. We conduct research like this with a wide range of people on a variety of subjects.
DISCLOSURES:	The session is being recorded to make sure we capture everything you say. Likewise, as previously mentioned, XX will be taking notes as a backup. We are taping this session so we can accurately report your responses and opinions. We will not report who said what, but will focus exclusively on what was said. Check for questions about the informed consent forms signed earlier.
E. Permissions/ Logistics	[Bathroom location]. I just ask that only one person be up or out of the room at a time.
F. Guidelines [5-10 minutes with Group Introductions]	And finally to make the best use of everyone’s time, there are just a few guidelines: Please talk one at a time – we want to accurately record and hear everyone’s responses. Please aim toward equal “air time” so that no one talks too much or too little. I might ask you to hold your thoughts if there are others who have not gotten the chance to speak. If I do cut you off please understand that I have so many questions and so little time. Please give us your honest opinions. We care about what you believe, whether or not anyone else agrees with you – there really is no wrong answer. Please note that any information shared here is confidential, and we therefore ask you not to discuss anything shared here outside this room.
Group Introductions	Just so we can get to know each other a little better. Let’s start with some quick introductions. Let’s go around the table starting on my right. Please tell us your name and what you like to do in your leisure time [or choose another ice-breaker as appropriate].
Concept testing [30-45 minutes]	Ok so now that we’ve gotten to know each other a little bit… I am going to show you some ideas regarding buying prescription drugs online. This is still very early in the process so these are just ideas. You will need to use your imagination to think about how they would look when finished. [SHOW ONE PRODUCT. ROTATE PRODUCT ORDER ACROSS GROUPS. ASK THE FOLLOWING AFTER EACH SPOT.] What is your first impression? What is the main idea of this message? Probe: What are they trying to say in this message? Does seeing this idea make you interested in seeing more of it? If you were going about a typical day, how likely would this ad get your attention? Do you think you would notice it? What might help you notice it more? Is the idea believable? Is this idea relevant to you? Probe: Why/why not? Who would you say they are trying to reach? What, if anything, is it asking you to do? Would you be likely to do anything after reading this ad? Probe: Look up the website? Where would you expect to see this ad? [If logo has not been discussed] Did you notice the logo? What do you think it means? Is there anything you find confusing about the logo? Is there anything you dislike about the logo? [If tagline is not discussed previously] What does this tagline mean to you? Is there anything confusing about the tagline? Is there anything you dislike about the tagline? [REPEAT QUESTIONS FOR OTHER PRODUCTS] [DISPLAY BOTH CONCEPTS SIDE BY SIDE] Which of these concepts do you like best? Why? FDA wants people to be aware of potential risks to their health if they buy prescription medicines from illegal online pharmacies. Which do you think does a better job of conveying that message? Are there any other thoughts you have on how to get that message across?
Wrap Up [5-10 minutes]	I am going to step out for a few minutes to check with my colleagues to see if there are additional questions they’d like asked. Meanwhile, I want you to think about: What one piece of advice would you give the people designing and distributing these messages? [STEP OUT AND RETURN].
Closing [1 min]	That concludes our questions. Thank you very much for your participation today. One of the outcomes of our work will be a campaign to consumers on how to safely purchase prescription drugs from online pharmacies, and your feedback will help tremendously as we refine these messages.