1. Project: Pharmacy Law lobbying campaign
Category: PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Summary
In 2001 the Pharmacy Law was adopted in Latvia. Article 36(1) stated that starting
from 2011 pharmacies of a general type could be owned only by a pharmacist or –
with a permission– a municipality in its administrative territory. Thus, those
entrepreneurs, who didn’t have a pharmacist’s diploma, were deprived of their
ownership rights. In order to ensure that pharmacies can be owned by any
entrepreneur and achieve the introduction of the amendments to the Pharmacy Law,
in February 2011 a lobbying campaign was launched. The key opponents to the
campaign: public organisations of pharmacists. By conducting international surveys,
involving recognised local and foreign experts and presenting irrefutable facts, the
agency managed to achieve the review of this Law in the parliament and incite a
heated debate in society. As this parliamentary decision affected common public
interests, the agency focused on involving various public organisations and social
partners in the campaign. Through media relations, public and individual discussions
with decision-makers, public events and other activities, the agency managed to
persuade the decision-maker to adopt a decision that was favourable to the customer.
More than 400 pharmacies and 2000 jobs, as well as tens of millions of Lats in
investments were preserved.
Situation
In 2001 the Pharmacy Law was adopted with a transition period of ten years, which
stated that in Latvia pharmacies could be owned only by pharmacists. In 2010 the
market situation showed that out of 807 Latvia’s pharmacies 380 were owned by
entrepreneurs without a pharmacist’s diploma. If the law were adopted, in Latvia more
than 400 pharmacies would be closed, more than 2,000 people would lose their jobs
and there would not be any pharmacy and any possibility of purchasing medicinal
products in dozens of towns and residential areas. Entrepreneurs would have lost
several tens of millions in investments.

2. Objectives
The analysis of the stakeholders was conducted. As part of international surveys, the
world-wide practice was analysed. The political situation monitoring was conducted
before and during the entire campaign to evaluate the politicians’ decision-making
process and promptly identify the potential risks. Direct meetings were used as the
major supervision instrument. The content analysis of mass media was conducted to
identify the reflection of the information. The aim of the campaign was to achieve the
introduction of the amendments to the Pharmacy Law – to ensure that pharmacies
could be owned by any entrepreneur irrespective of their professional education.
Strategy
By involving the main stakeholders, opinion leaders with various specialisation
(economists, lawyers, politicians), as well as the major social partners (Employers’
Confederation, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Latvia's Farmers'
Parliament, etc.) and using direct communication and media relations, the feedback
was ensured and public opinion formed. Face-to-face meetings with politicians, social
partners and opinion leaders was the key communication channel for monitoring
politicians' daily activities, plans and objectives, as well as a timely identification of
problematic issues and ensuring a direct communication. Media relations were the
second basic communication instrument, which comprised the widest possible range
of media relations tools. Press releases, live debates, press conferences, local and
international surveys, media events were conducted 2 - 4 times a week. In turn,
before voting a pharmacists' picket was organised in front of the Parliament's building
attended by pharmacists from all over Latvia.
Execution
The campaign was started in February 2010 and finished in August. Before adopting
the decision, the parliament postponed voting four times relegating the amendments
to the subcommittees, legal department and experts in constitutional affairs of the
parliament.
Initially, the campaign proceeded according to the communication plan, but as the
voting approached, it was constantly being changed depending on the opposition's
and politicians' activities, public mood measurements etc.
More than 15 surveys were carried and published providing an insight into the world-
wide practice, comments of more than 20 experts and opinion leaders of various
industries were published, meetings with pharmacists and society were organised.
The direct link between the closure of pharmacies and the rate of public health was
shown. Using active and verifiable information and objective data, statements issued
by individual politicians or political forces in the public domain were downplayed.
During the campaign more than 970 publications were generated.

3. Documented Results
1. On 9 August 2010 the Latvian Parliament in the second reading adopted urgently
applicable amendments to the Pharmacy Law with a new regulatory framework for
pharmacy ownership and a wider scope of persons who are entitled to establishing a
pharmacy. 78 out of 100 members of the parliament voted in favour of the
amendments.
2. The closure of more than 400 pharmacies out of the total number of 807 in Latvia
was averted.
3. More than 2,000 people retained their jobs.
4. It was achieved that in rural regions a pharmacy can be also managed by a
pharmacist's assistant and not just by a pharmacist, as initially envisaged. Thus, rural
pharmacies were saved from closure and thousands of people were still able to
purchase medicinal products.
5. The aim of the campaign was achieved without using marketing instruments.